Crossing Worlds
by Amariahellcat
Summary: They saved the world, but there's still things left to do; to return Tutankhamen to his human shape, Sphinx must continue his journey. Meanwhile in the present, a pretty normal girl with Egypt-obsessed parents is just trying to live her life. The two are connected by dreams, but what does this have to do with helping Tut and finding the Lost Shrine of Isis? Continuation. Sphinx/OC
1. Chapter 1: The Girl and the Demi-God

**Author's Note:** Iiiiii don't know what I'm doing anymore. Um, hi guys! I'm apparently jumping fandoms lately, geez. I'm best known as a Jak writer, though I haven't updated anything in ages (sort of! I kind of updated Book4 of TAE? Kind of?) .

SO. I've owned Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy for years. And I DO mean YEARS. And as much as I loved the game, it made me rage. A lot. Because I sucked at video games when I was 15ish. Then I got into the Jak games, got addicted, and got a LOT better at platforming and video gaming in general. Skip to a week ago; I don't remember why, but I started watching a play through of Sphinx on youtube. And, realizing a)I'd never beaten the game, and b)I'm a LOT better at gaming now, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

This game was my crack before the Jak series became my obsession; I loved the characters and the settings and the whole Egyptian theme to the thing. Sphinx is an awesome character, as is Tut. The ending makes me RAGE slightly since no sequel was ever made, which is what leads me to where I am. I actually think I WROTE a terrible fic for the game waaaay back, but it's long since been deleted and I don't even remember what was happening in it.

So, seeing the utter lack of stories for this wonderful game, I'm giving in and writing one myself. Just a blanket notice; I haven't read any of the fics on this site. I apologize if the OC featured predominantly here at all resembles or reflects another writers OC; I'm working from what I think to be best, and whatever crazy plot monkeys develop in my mind.

And so, I hope you enjoy this crazy piece of fiction that I bring to you today. I don't know where I'm going with this story. I don't know how it will end. There WILL be smut in this and it is rated as such. There is also flipping back and forth between time periods, as the OC will be in the present for quite some time. Eh, you'll see; enjoy!

**Blanket Disclaimer for the entire fic:** I do not own Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, any of its characters, worlds, or objects, and I am not making any money off of this work of fiction. Isis, her parents, friends, etc., belong to me.

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter One: The Girl and the Demi-God**

_The room was unfamiliar. The perfect size for a single person, obviously only used for sleeping and storage. The walls were unornamented asides from painted markings, decoration imbued by the architect of the building. There was a simple dresser of sorts, the style used in Ancient Egypt, atop which lay a detailed, golden sword handle and a small leather pouch. A swatch of reeds acted as a door, muting sounds from the outside but leaving little privacy._

_The thought barely brushed her mind as she hissed and arched against the body holding her, fingers digging into muscled shoulders. The bed was small, again meant for a single occupant, but it was more than big enough to hold two bodies pressed closely together. It felt strong but soft, comfortable, and provided the perfect platform for the couple sitting upon it._

_Isis couldn't help the moan that escaped when her partner bucked up against her, arousal obvious even through his sturdy pants. Emerald eyes opened to stare into slitted brown, accented with the traditional Egyptian eye paint and intricate brown markings on his skin. He wore an ornate golden headdress accented with a snake, and she lifted a hand to trail along one pointed ear, rewarded with a rumble in his chest and a squeeze at her hips._

_She didn't know him, but her dream self seemed to; there was no questioning why they were here, acting like this. All she knew was the rush of heat his fingers left on her skin and the burning sensation arching higher in her stomach every time he moved._

"_We're dreaming." She whispered, shuddering when a clawed hand breezed dangerously close to her breasts._

"_Are we?" His voice was a sultry purr, deep and exotic. He bent to nip at her neck, breathing against her skin, "Then let's not wake up."_

"_Ah..." Isis shivered again, grasp on his shoulders tightening even as she felt the vision fading, "Who are you?"_

"_Sphinx." He bit down harder, leaving a mark on her shoulder, "Who are you?"_

"_I'm..." she couldn't breathe suddenly, her vision going blank. She tried to tell him, but no words would come. The warmth of his body disappeared in a rush, and she was left in darkness, a horrid, familiar beeping noise invading her dream..._

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

Isis Cote shot up in bed, chest heaving and eyes wide. Deep emerald orbs shot around the room, searching, the girl flopping backwards in bed with an annoyed groan, hands pressed over her eyes.

"What the _fuck_ was that dream about?" she muttered, grumbling under her breath. She let her arms fall to her sides and scowled at the ceiling, noticing that she still felt rather... hot and bothered, honestly. The dream had messed with her body as well as her mind, dammit.

_Sphinx... of course it had to be an Egyptian themed dream, didn't it? Dammit Mom and Dad, you cursed me with this name, I swear!_

Beeping filtered through her thoughts, eyes going to the still buzzing alarm clock on her bedside table. Sighing roughly, Isis slapped the 'off' button and forced herself from the bed, slowly making her way into the connected bathroom.

_Cold shower time, geez. I've never had a dream effect me __**this**__ badly... though I've never had such a freaking erotic dream before, either..._

She remembered the feel of his hands on her skin, the subtle musculature of his chest, the distinctly cat-like quality to his face and movements. Then she blushed, stepped into the shower stall, and turned the cold water on full blast.

Shivering but thankfully cooled off, Isis stepped from the stall and wrapped herself in a fluffy blanket, drying herself off before heading back into her bedroom. Dropping the towel as she went about finding clothes, she caught sight of her back in the mirror and scowled again, sighing and returning to her search.

She'd been born with a weird birthmark right in the middle of her back, just below her neck. It _almost_ looked like an ankh set between two small wings; or so her parents thought, at least. It had landed her with the name 'Isis', anyways, despite being a platinum blonde with green eyes, about as far from looking Egyptian as possible.

That's what she got for having archeologists for parents, apparently.

Isis threw on the first set of decent clothes she came across and jogged down the stairs, pulling her hair back in a tight ponytail as she went. Once on the main floor she had to pick her way around various artifacts and tools left behind by her parents, annoyed, as usual, by their ability to be a pain even when they weren't home.

There was a message flashing on the machine in the kitchen, so she hit the play button as she dug through the fridge, grabbing some bread and jam and kicking the door shut with her foot.

"_Hi, honey!"_ her mother's overly enthusiastic voice rang through the room, making her flinch in the middle of spreading jam, _"Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know we're still alive and kicking! Hope school and everything's going well! We'll be home in two weeks, and we've got a ton of new stuff to showcase! There's going to be a huge exposition at the ROM once everything's set up, we can't wait! Your father says hi! You really need to come with us to Egypt next time, Isis, I'm sure you'd love it. Say hi to Melanie for us! Gotta run, love you!"_

"They'll never get it through their heads that their obsession has made me _hate_ Egypt, will they? Isis grumbled as she finished spreading the jam and took a huge bite out of the bread, chewing moodily. Then she glanced at the wall clock and nearly choked on her mouthful, shoving the rest in her mouth and almost throwing the jam back in the fridge as she rushed for the foyer.

Shit, if she didn't hurry up she was going to be late! Thankfully she'd packed her bag the night before, so Isis simply threw on her shoes, grabbed the heavy object, and barely paused to lock the door before booking it down the street.

To say that her parents were Egypt freaks would be an understatement; they'd _move_ there if they could! Fortunately, their work at the Royal Ontario Museum (or ROM for short) kept them in Toronto most of the time.

Until one of their colleagues happened across something in their journeys and tipped them off; then the Cote's went gallivanting off to their favorite continent, leaving their rather annoyed daughter behind.

Sure, they'd tried to drag her with them before; Isis had almost been _born_ in Egypt thanks to a flight disruption, in fact. They'd named her 'Isis' in honor of the Egyptian Goddess, and immersed her in the culture as much as they could for 19 years. She could read and speak Egyptian, name most if not all of the gods and goddesses, knew most of their mythology...

And hated even the mention of the damn place. Seriously; when your parents were obsessed, it got old quickly.

Thankfully, her general program at the University of Toronto had absolutely _nothing_ to do with Egypt, and she immersed herself in it as much as she possibly could.

Isis practically skidded to a stop when she reached the building, rushing inside and throwing herself into her usual seat, panting for breath.

Laughter beside her made her look up, the brunette seated next to her shaking her head with an amused smile, "Seriously, Isis, cutting it close, aren't we? Closer than usual, I mean."

"Sorry, Mel; had a weird dream, kinda been in a daze all morning."

"Weird dream?" Melanie tilted her head, "What kind of weird dream?"

The slightest thought of it made Isis flush red, waving off the question and flipping open her book, "N-nothing important, I don't really remember anymore. It was just weird."

Her friend shot her a questioning look, but their professor chose that moment to walk in and she didn't push it any further. Mentally thanking any gods that were listening, Isis did her best to pay attention and take down notes, her mind continuously drifting back to the dream and the strange man from it. _Sphinx, huh... weird name, even if he did look like a cat..._

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

Sphinx awoke in a sudden sweat, ears pricked and listening even as he pushed himself up, eyeing the room suspiciously.

There was no sign of the strange blonde girl that had invaded his dreams, as he'd known would happen. The only sign of anything off was the sweat clinging to him and the uncomfortable tightness in his pants, effects left over from the vision.

Irritated, he glared down at the bulge and grumbled under his breath, forcing himself from the bed and crossing to the reed curtain, tail flicking irritably.

He'd never had a dream like _that_, that was for sure. He'd never been interested in sex, honestly; not in the way most men his age were, at least. At 19, the young demi-god had spent most of his life training under Imhotep alongside the other apprentices, most of whom had been male. The few females that did inhabit the island were of no interest; either they were the bird people of Abydos, or they were human. He could only fake interest for so long before getting bored.

Besides, he'd spent most of the last year fighting for his life and defying Set; women hadn't exactly been the first thing on his mind while dodging deadly beams and fighting off swarms of monsters.

Yet now, not only had he met a girl who'd left him painfully aroused; she'd been a dream. And he hadn't even gotten her name, dammit.

_It was just a dream._ The demi-god grumbled mentally, pushing back the reed curtain to look to the Shrines main window, judging the time. _I'm up early; good. I have time before meeting with Imhotep and Tut. _

Sphinx left the comfort of his small room and padded quickly through the inner hallways of the shrine, headed for the baths. Just as he'd hoped, it was deserted at this time in the morning, and the heaters hadn't yet been activated.

He hit the switch for the machines and stripped, stepping into the freezing water and hissing. The cold water helped his 'problem', at least, but Sphinx was glad when the water began to warm, settling down to wash off the night's sweat.

Finished, he got out and shook himself off, only bothering to fasten his pants back on before loping back through the hallways and to his room. He secured his pouch to his belt and took the Blade of Osiris in hand, watching as it disappeared once more, ready to be called on. The fight with Set may have finished, but he didn't feel complete unless the sword was at his disposal these days.

"Master Sphinx?" a timid voice called from his doorway, making him turn. One of Imhotep's newest apprentices – a human girl whose name he could never remember – stood just beyond the reed curtain, clearly debating on whether she should enter or not.

Sphinx saved her the dilemma, exiting the room and nodding to her, "Yes?"

"Master Imhotep would like to meet you in the portal chamber." She girl managed, batting long eyelashes, "He says he would like to speak to you and Prince Tutankhamen together."

"Alright." Sphinx nodded to her again and headed off, barely noticing the girls put off look. He was still half distracted by the dream, doing his best to focus on everything _but_ the feelings. He briefly considered telling Imhotep about it, but shook his head, dismissing the idea.

It was just a dream.


	2. Chapter 2: Daydreams and Dilemmas

**Authors Note:**Clearly I am far too into this idea, since here I am with another chapter. I get addicted to fandoms far too easily, sigh. Oh well, here we go again! Enjoy! :D

**Novanto:** Wow, I got a review! I half expected not to! :D Hey, you're welcome! I'm happy to oblige! I hope you continue to enjoy this small tribute to an amazing game :D

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Daydreams and Dilemmas **

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

The main chamber of Sunshrine Island was quiet and calm, the Portal God silent at the back of the room and the sunlight pouring in from the high windows.

It was still too early for any worshippers to be awake, and Imhotep's other apprentices were also likely still asleep. Sphinx paused at the entranceway, simply looking around, taking in the details of the room as he hadn't bothered before.

He'd been an apprentice to Imhotep for as long as he could remember; his childhood was a faint memory, but that was normal. Demi-gods weren't born in the normal way, after all; whatever family he may have had was long gone.

There had originally been quite a few apprentices living in the Shrine, but over the years the daunting tasks and hard training had wheedled them down. At the beginning of his quest for the Blade, Sphinx and Horus had been Imhotep's only long standing apprentices, the bird demi-god a few years older them himself.

Sphinx scowled at the thought of the traitor, forcing the memories away and stalking towards the central steps, tail swaying.

Imhotep stood between the central pillars of the room, face lined with wisdom and worry, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Whether he was Urukite or Heliopolisian, Sphinx didn't know, though he noted a faint resemblance between his Master and the deceased Pharaoh of Heliopolis. Likely a demi-god like himself, though it was hard to tell.

Tutankhamen stood with his master, rubbing his bandaged hands together nervously. Though they hadn't actually met until the end of their adventure, Sphinx had spent most of his time since returning with the mummified prince, sharing stories of their paths through Uruk and the world. Tut – as he'd taken to calling him, since his real name was just too damn long – was still stuck in mummy form, and they needed to figure out a way to turn him back.

He briefly played with telling his mummy friend about the dream, but again decided it was a bad idea. The poor prince had a fiancée waiting for him back in Luxor; he didn't want to rub salt into his wounds.

"Ah, Sphinx. I was surprised to hear you were awake so early," Imhotep motioned his apprentice closer, eyeing him thoughtfully; "You are normally a fairly late riser. Trouble sleeping?"

_Try being mentally seduced._ "Something like that." He grunted, avoiding his master's eyes, "You sent for me?"

"Yes, Ayh mentioned seeing you up and about and offered to pass along my message."

_That's her name. _She was one of the newest apprentices in the Shrine; he'd only seen her a few times since returning from Castle Uruk. He hadn't noticed her while out of his room that morning, but it wasn't a surprise; the newer apprentices tended to stay out of sight of the older ones unless they were in a training session.

Grimacing mentally, he just hoped she hadn't seen him in his rather _bothered_ state before reaching the baths. That would just be awkward.

"I hope you slept well, Prince Tutankhamen. I know your situation is a rather dire one, but we have done our best to make you comfortable here."

"Oh, I slept great! Don't worry!" the strangely cheerful voice of his mummy friend brought Sphinx back to the present, slitted eyes going to the shorter boy. Tut really did seem to be trying to make the best of his situation, at least; he hadn't given up hope just yet. "I mean, I'm sorta dead, so sleep is just like passing out... but at least it's not permanent-ish like back in the castle! And being immortal has its advantages, right?"

"I am glad you think so, highness." Imhotep pressed his palms together, nodding, "We must, however, act quickly to find a solution to your current predicament. I am sure you are needed in Luxor, despite your brother being found alive, and Nefertiti must miss you."

"She's been sending letters, but it's not the same."

"I would imagine not. I have an audience with Anubis this afternoon, as he is speaking on behalf of Ra while our lord rectifies several of Set's misdeeds. He says he may have information that will lead us... Sphinx, are you alright?"

"Hey, uh, Sphinx, you're lookin' kinda pale!"

The demi-god blinked, forcing himself from the fog his mind had faded into. He stared at his master and his friend before putting a hand over his eyes and grimacing, feeling suddenly dazed.

"Sorry, Master; I slept worse than I thought. Unless you have need of me, may I...?"

"Of course, Sphinx, return to your chamber and get some rest. You deserve it after everything that has happened in the last while."

Sphinx nodded his thanks and retreated quickly, not liking the hazy quality to his vision. He didn't notice anything as he headed for his chamber, barely avoiding one of the shrines scribes when he exited a room too quickly.

Pushing through the reed curtain to his room Sphinx paused mid-step, eyes clenching shut as a sudden wave of dizziness overtook him, hand braced on the door frame to keep himself upright...

_...and then the dizziness stopped and he opened his eyes, feeling better than he had all morning. There was a sudden lightness to the room, an airy quality as he let the reed curtain fall closed behind him as he stepped further into the room, hand still on the wall._

_The blonde girl sat on his bed, head tipped back and eyes closed as though deep in thought, chest rising and falling hypnotically beneath the strangest garment he'd ever seen._

"_You're back." He rumbled silkily, dream self more than comfortable in the strange situation, "Couldn't stay away?"_

_The girl's eyes slid open just a slit, emerald piercing into chocolate and a tiny smirk tipping her full lips. "What can I say?" she breathed, the mere pitch of her voice brushing heat over his skin, "You've got a comfy bed."_

"_Is that the only reason?" he moved as he spoke, crossing the room in a few long strides to loom over her, bending to rest a hand against the bed at her sides, "Not because you missed me?"_

"_Welll..." she drawled, batting long eyelashes and lifting an arm to hook delicately around his neck, pulling him further in, "There __**is**__ that, I suppose..."_

"_Cheeky." Sphinx growled, closing the remaining distance to kiss her. She made a noise in her throat and leaned into him eagerly, second arm joining the first around his neck, using the leverage to pull him down on top of her._

_What started out fairly innocently escalated quickly, her mouth opening under his at his tongues insistence, her own coming up to play. They were gasping for breath when he finally pulled away; just a brief loss of contact before he dove back in, addicted. _

_A clawed hand ran up through her hair and to the contraption keeping it back, slicing it easily and allowing the platinum strands to spill around her. Sphinx pulled back once more to simply look at her, smirking lazily. Whatever she was, the effect of the blonde strands spilt around her head gave her the look of a goddess._

"_What?" she questioned breathily, eyes half lidded as she watched him, arms still around him._

"_Beautiful." He rumbled in approval, sealing her lips once more before she could respond._

_Sphinx had settled himself between her legs without really noticing, pressing down into her as they kissed. Heat flared suddenly when she shifted under him, a slim leg wrapping around him to pull him closer. The demi-god hissed against her lips, releasing them to trail kisses and tiny bites down her chin and throat, rubbing against her sensually._

"_Sphinx..." she whimpered under him, grip tightening as he moved, friction building between them._

_Gods, he wanted her. He'd never felt this before, but his body seemed to know exactly what it was doing. _

"_Sphinx." Her voice was less breathy this time, and his ears pricked, listening, "I... think I'm waking up."_

_The demi-god started, noticing that she'd gone transparent; the same as she had the night before. Determined and annoyed, he bit down on her neck again, hard enough to make her cry out; he tasted blood and licked the wound apologetically, satisfied with the visible mark he had left._

"_You're __**mine**__." He hissed in her ear just as he felt her warmth disappear, the body under him vanishing as if it had never been there..._

...leaving him crouched over nothing, his mind hazy as he once more came back to reality, aroused and annoyed beyond belief. He mumbled curses under his breath and then froze at a rustling from his door, slitted eyes shooting to the curtain and the girl halfway through it.

"Ayh." He forced himself to relax, though his tail continued to sway irritably, "What is it?"

"I can help you with that, if you like."

Scowling, Sphinx forced himself into a kneeling position, keeping his back to her, "Not interested, thanks."

"It looks like it hurts, though. Why not let me...?"

"I said no!" the demi-god snapped, temper rising. Gods, did the newer apprentices know nothing? "Leave, Ayh."

"But..."

Having heard enough, Sphinx leapt from the bed and pushed past her, stalking through the halls and out of the shrine, ignoring the odd and questioning looks he got from everyone he passed.

Jumping into the water at the edge of the shrine had two purposes; one was cooling his boiling body down. The other was getting away from the Shrine, swimming as fast as he could through the clear water towards the shore of Heliopolis.

Reaching his destination, he simply flopped backwards onto the sands of the Shore, glad that, for once, the athletic Kenu was nowhere in sight. The last thing he needed right now was a jackal begging him to race.

Mind finally clear of haze and lust, he stared at the sky, frowning. He'd thought life would go back to being simple once Set was defeated. Apparently he'd been wrong...

XXXXXXXXXX

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

"..sis. Isis? Isis!"

Isis snapped up in her seat, eyes wide and face flushed red.

Melanie shot her a worried look, jerking her head towards the front of the classroom. Isis looked up and sighed in relief, nodding her thanks.

She'd been able to wake her up before the professor noticed her sleeping, thankfully, so she settled back into her seat and tried to pay attention.

She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but she'd gotten so tired all of a sudden she hadn't been able to help it. And then she'd had another dream... a daydream, really, it was so short.

Wincing at a sudden pain at her throat, Isis lifted a hand to rub at it and started when her hand came away tinged with red.

Staring mutely, she thought back to the dream and realized it was the same place where he'd bitten her, making her face go red again. That didn't make sense though. Realistic or not, it was a dream! There was no way she _actually_ had a bite mark on her throat... right?

"Hey, Isis, c'mon, snap out of it, class is over!" Melanie shook her by the shoulder, shaking her head, "You are _so_ out of it today, girl! Come on!"

"Sorry!" the blonde managed, stumbling up and forcing her things back into her bag, hurrying to follow her friend from the room.

"It's okay." Melanie paused once they were out of the room, looking at her quizzically.

Isis shrank under the look, "What?"

"Isis, when did you let your hair down?"


	3. Chapter 3: Sleeping and Secrets

**Authors Note:** Ahahahaha and another one! :D I am having far too much fun with this!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Sleeping and Secrets**

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

Through sheer will and determination, Isis made it through the day without falling asleep again. It was harder then she'd expected, too; she felt positively _exhausted_, despite knowing she'd gotten almost a full night's sleep.

_And then I had that dream._ The blonde scowled at nothing as she made her way through the school, weaving through the throngs of students going the other direction, _And then that __**second**__ one during class. I don't know what's going on, but it's freaking me out._

She'd gone back in and searched; her hair band had disappeared completely. Likewise, she really _did_ have what looked like a small bite mark at the juncture of her throat and shoulder; bruised almost like a hickey would be.

A quick trip to the nurse's office at least solved that problem in the form of a small band aid, mostly hidden by the neck of her sweatshirt. Her hair... well, she was SOL in regards to that, so she was stuck pushing it out of her face for the rest of the day.

Now, though, was the part of the day she looked forward to the most. It wasn't a class, or even a club or a group activity. There _were_ perks to having rather well off parents, she had to admit; one was being able to rent out one of the Universities small aerobics rooms for herself a few times a week.

Isis hadn't told anyone she loved to dance. Or... scratch that, she hadn't _meant_ to tell anyone. Her parents had happened across her dancing when she was younger, and had forced her into learning the traditional styles of Egyptian dance so that she could be a part of certain exhibitions they put together.

The dancing she did on _these_ days was all her own. It was her way of working off stress and frustration, as well as any extra energy she had from being pent up in classes.

Today was all about working off the rather irritating heat that had remained with her ever since the daydream; she didn't _care_ how tired she was, she needed to _move_.

She didn't bother changing until she was in the room with the door locked firmly behind her, curtain drawn over its window. Her standard room was on a high floor, so she didn't have to worry about peeping toms, either.

Bag dropping to the floor, Isis reached for the hem of her sweater and yanked it up and over her head, discarding it carelessly. Shoes and socks were kicked off, her jeans replaced with yoga pants; she scowled momentarily at her hair, knowing she didn't have an extra hair tie, before shrugging it off and digging in her backpack.

Successfully locating her ipod she extracted it and headed for the small stereo on the opposite side of the room, syncing it and browsing to her _dance_ playlist, hitting shuffle and stepping back.

Every song on her playlist was upbeat and full of life, and that was how her dancing was. She barely even noticed which song was playing as she threw herself into the beat, more than happy to lose herself in the tempo.

It wasn't until exhaustion nearly brought her tumbling to the ground that Isis stumbled to a stop, gasping for breath but feeling much better. All of the sexual frustration she'd been left with by the daydream had been disposed of through the dancing, and now she was more than ready to head home, have a shower, and go to bed.

_And eat dinner._ She mused silently, lips quirking when her stomach rumbled loudly. She hadn't actually eaten since that morning, and that one rushed piece of bread with jam just wasn't cutting it for her tired body anymore.

Forcing herself up from where she'd slumped and shutting her ipod off, Isis paused, a quiet _beep beep_ catching her attention. Sighing, the blonde crossed the room to her bag and fished out her cell phone, hitting the 'answer' button and lifting it to her ear, "Hey, Mel; done class?"

"_Yup! You done dancing?"_

"Yeah, just finished. I practically collapsed; I'd say that's a clue to stop."

"_Huh, dancing doesn't usually wear you out that much!"_

Isis rolled her shoulders, attempting to shimmy out of her yoga pants with one hand, "I just didn't sleep very well and it's catching up with me. I'm _exhausted_."

"_To exhausted to go for subs and coffee with your best friend?"_

Her stomach grumbled again. "Well, my stomach certainly wants to go."

"_You haven't eaten all day again, have you?"_

"Yeaaaah, kinda forgot." _I was too preoccupied with the bite mark on my throat and the freaking heat._ "Subs sound great. Meet you at the usual place in ten?"

"_You got it. Don't be late!"_

"Haha, I won't be. Bye, Mel."

Call complete, Isis tossed her phone back in her bag and finished getting changed, glancing around the room one last time before flicking off the light and heading out to meet her friend.

She'd never admit it, but she'd almost felt like she was missing something. Like dancing alone hadn't been enough.

XXXXXXXXX

"I'm home!" Isis called as she opened the door, voice echoing around the vastness of the empty house. Grinning ruefully, she made sure to lock the door behind her before kicking her shoes off and dropping her bag back where it had been that morning, content to forget about it for a day or so.

Tuesday's were her free days, she could do whatever she well pleased, and since she hadn't gotten any homework asides from previously assigned reading, she could ignore her school bag completely.

The light on the answering machine was flashing again, making her frown. It couldn't be her parents; there was no way they'd make a second call in the same day, especially if they were as excited about their current project as they sounded.

She hit the button and leaned back against the kitchen table, listening curiously.

"_Hello, Isis. I hope you're doing well while your parents are away again."_ an older, familiar voice rasped from the answering machine, making her sigh. Great, if _she_ was calling... _"As I'm sure they're already told you, your parents are coming home in two weeks in order to set up a brand new exhibit in the ROM. Intriguing as this new set of discoveries is, the museum would like to enlist several live actors for the unveiling of the exhibit."_

Isis groaned, knowing what was coming but praying she was wrong.

"_I am aware that you know most, if not all, of the traditional styles of Egyptian dance; your parents sent me a memo, and your help with the main performance would be greatly appreciated. I know Tuesday's are your days off, so if you wouldn't mind dropping by, dear, I would be thankful. Till tomorrow; sleep well, Isis."_

"Dammit, Aunt Evie," Isis grumbled, shutting the machine off and trooping moodily up the stairs, "Why do you do this to me?"

Evelyn (nicknamed Evie) Masters was her parent's colleague at the ROM and the one who usually sent them off on their adventures. She was the head of the Egyptology department, and had been a fairly well known archeologist before settling down at the museum. She was also Isis' god mother and, sometimes, a royal pain in the butt.

_I'll deal with that tomorrow. For now, all I want is a shower, and to sleep!_

While admittedly warmer than the one she'd taken that morning, her shower was short and she barely bothered to dry her hair off before heading for bed. It was a fairly warm night, so she crawled under the covers wearing only a t-shirt and her panties, snuggling into the covers and sighing blissfully.

She thought sleep would come quickly, but her mind only went slightly hazy, scents and shapes shifting around her...

_...until they focussed and solidified, giving a completely different vibe. The mattress beneath her was distinctly different from her own, though it was vaguely familiar and still rather comfortable. She could smell saltwater, incense, and a rather masculine musk that over powered the other smells._

_Most of all, she could hear – and __**feel**__ – someone breathing._

_Emerald eyes opening hazily, Isis blinked at her current position, somewhat surprised but incredibly unperturbed. _

_Sphinx lay parallel to her, face lax with sleep and breathing calm and relaxed. It was a much softer side then she'd seen and Isis smiled, propping herself up on an elbow to study him, careful not to shift too much._

_Small as the bed was, there was maybe five inches between them, less between their faces on the pillow they'd been sharing._

_She studied him closely while she could, curious. He still wore the golden headdress she'd always seen him in; the blonde wondered if he ever took it off. Was he bald? Did he just not like his hair? She'd have to find out sometime. But not tonight._

_What she had first assumed to be Egyptian eye paint seemed to actually be a part of his facial markings, since he hadn't removed it before going to bed. Not that she minded; the black accented his eyes, the rest of the marking highlighting a handsome face. His nose wasn't quite human, she noted absently, but it did little to detract from his looks._

_His chest was bare, and she watched the slow rise and fall of his breath, noting how the muscles slid under his skin; he was strong, but not burly. _

_What really caught her attention was his tail, occasionally appearing behind him to flick lazily in the air before disappearing again. It flicked over his waist randomly, lying still for a moment; Isis took the chance._

_She was careful not to grip it too tightly or pull on it in anyway, not wanting to hurt or startle the sleeping man. She was just curious; she'd never met a person with a tail, and its lazy actions were interesting. It was soft and thing, with a tuft at the end like a lions, giving her a name for the animal he reminded her vaguely of._

"_Careful with that." A sleepy voice rumbled suddenly, Isis flinching and releasing the tail to let it flick back over its owners side._

_She looked up guiltily, meeting hazy chocolate orbs and smiling a little. "Sorry. I couldn't resist. Didn't mean to wake you up."_

"_I noticed." His voice was raspy with weariness; Isis found she rather liked the sound of it. "Tail's pretty sensitive. Don't usually let people touch it."_

"_Did I hurt you?" she was seriously worried. Then he chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, dragging her back down to the bed and against him._

"_It's fine; you're special. It's just one of those more... __**personal**__ parts of my body, so unless you want to start something...?"_

"_Gotcha." Isis curled closer into him, pausing when she felt something against her leg and looking down to find his tail curled around it, "Sphinx..."_

"_Sorry. Has a mind of its own." His eyes were darker suddenly, though the only movement he made was glancing pointedly down at her, "Especially when you're wearing that weird contraption..."_

"_It's called a t-shirt." she giggled, "and normally I wouldn't mind, but I'm exhausted. I honestly just want to sleep."_

"_Agreed." Arm tightening over her just a little, Sphinx closed his eyes again, rumbling contentedly, "Could get used to this."_

"_Mhm. I like your bed better than mine."_

"_Oh?"_

"_Yup." Isis sighed tiredly, her own eyes closing as she snuggled into him, "It's got you in it."_

XXXXXXXXX

**Heliopolis Coast**

**The Days of the Gods**

To say that Sphinx had slept well was an understatement. He woke up full of energy and spirit, something he hadn't done in ages. In fact, it had probably been the best sleep he'd ever had!

The rather peaceful, innocent dream he'd had the night before had apparently been the cause; even as he was waking up he'd almost felt the blonde girls warmth in his arms, the bed sunken just a little more than usual as if under more weight.

Sure, if neither of them had felt completely exhausted, something might have happened. She'd been damn tempting in that strange outfit she called a 't-shirt', and his tail had been quite adamant about attaching itself to her leg for the night.

The relaxing encounter seemed to have been exactly what his body needed, though. He grabbed Tut as soon as he was able to and took off for Heliopolis.

Ketta and Kotta had spotted him lying on the beach near their house the day before, and invited he and his mummy friend for dinner the following day. They were eager for stories of the two men's adventures, and Sphinx had a hard time saying no to people who'd bothered to help him.

Imhotep would be gone for at least a week anyways, he'd messaged them; it would take a while for he and Anubis to sort out what was to be done about poor Tut's condition.

And so, as the sun began its slow descent, Sphinx and Tut made their way down to the Helian couples house on the coast, having spent the day roaming around and visiting places Sphinx had been to during his journeys.

"Welcome, my friends!" Kotta greeted enthusiastically, ushering them inside the small home and to the table set in the centre of the room, grinning widely, "It is indeed a pleasure! Ketta has prepared a bountiful feast for us, my friends! Come, eat! And regale us with your stories!"

"I've told you most of them already, Kotta," Sphinx chuckled good naturedly, in a decidedly good mood. Getting away from the Island for the day had been a good idea.

"Yes, but Prince Tutankhamen must have a few of his own, no?" Ketta input innocently, covering the table with food; they hadn't been joking when they'd mentioned a feast, apparently. "Besides, Sphinx, we've barely seen you since you got back! It's been boring!"

"Tell us, friends, is anything new happening? Any new danger or excitements?!"

"Welll..." Tut was more than thrilled to tell stories of Luxor, news heard from Nefertiti and his brother – who was alive! He was happy to report to the jackals – while Sphinx contented himself with food and thoughts of the only new thing in his life.

New person, rather. Whose name he _still_ didn't know, he realized with a quiet snicker at himself. Oh well. Her company was enjoyable nonetheless, and he would simply have to make a point to get her name the next time they met.

Which would hopefully be sooner rather than later...

"Ooooh, someone's got it bad!"

"You did not tell us you had a lady, Sphinx! Please, my friend, spill!"

"No _wonder_ he's been so off these days!"

"What?" Sphinx snapped out of his stupor when he realised the three were all staring – and _talking_ – to and about him. "Uh...?"

"Sphinx, honey, you may be a warrior, hero, and the Chosen One, but you're still a man." Ketta smiled sweetly, batting her eyes pleadingly, "A man in _love_, judging by the way you're acting. I'd never have thought!"

"Who is it, Sphinx? Someone I know?" Tut piped up, fidgeting eagerly in his seat, "Is it another apprentice? Oh! Is it Ayh-"

"NO!" the word was a harsh snap that he regretted immediately, wincing, "Gods, no. Sorry, Tut. It's... well..." Time to sound like a complete idiot, "I don't, er, actually... know her name."

"Sphinx!"

"My goodness!"

The demi-god glowered at his so-called friends until they all laughed; realizing they weren't actually judging him, he allowed a small smirk.

"Can you guys keep a secret?"


	4. Chapter 4: Curiosity and the Cat

**Authors Note:** Chapter Four! I'm on a roll! :D I should really just make a Livejournal or Dreamwidth community for this thing I swear, haha. That way I could link to pictures more easily XD Because I have an Isis reference drawn! Not coloured just yet, but yeah. This story is waaay to much fun to write :D Enjoy! (PS the title words are somewhat backwards in relation to the event points but whatev)

**Tasha and Allison, I love you guys lmao 3 **Allison your reviews always make me lawl I swear XD

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Curiosity and the Cat**

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

Isis woke up feeling refreshed and energized, though admittedly reluctant to leave her bed. The vague warmth of arms wrapped around her had remained for a brief moment as she was waking up, leaving her rather cold and – though she'd never admit it – lonely as her senses woke up.

_It's just the big empty house bothering you again,_ she tried to tell herself, knowing it was a lie, _You'll be fine once Mom and Dad are home. Oh, shoot, right, I have to go see Aunt Evie today... guh._

Not quite as annoyed by the request as she had been the night before, the blonde girl forced herself from the warm cocoon of her sheets and stripped off her sparse sleepwear – smirking unintentionally at the memory of Sphinx's reaction to it – before digging through her drawers for some clean panties.

_I need to do laundry._ She sighed aloud, pulling out her last clean pair and shimmying them on, snatching the matching bra and donning it expertly. _I should probably clean the place up a bit, to, though it'll just end up being a mess again the second they're home._

Later, she swore to herself as she pulled on her favorite pair of jeans and went searching for a half-decent shirt. She would clean up _later_.

Isis finally pulled on an older sweater and again _swore_ that she would do laundry upon returning home before snatching a hair-tie and heading for the bathroom, intent on at least brushing her teeth if nothing else.

Hair pulled into a loose ponytail at the side of her head and mouth tasting minty fresh, the blonde girl jogged down the stairs and glanced hesitantly at the answering machine, glad when there was no flashing lights. She didn't bother grabbing anything to eat, only pausing to sneak a glance at the still full bowl of food on the ground before snatching her purse and leaving the house.

Jogging to the nearest subway station she descended into the underground tunnels and weaved expertly towards the boarding area, popping in the tokens she always had on hand and slipping amongst the many students and business people waiting for the train.

It came quickly, as always, and she hopped on and grabbed a loop, leaving the seats for the people who needed them. Her stop wasn't far anyways, and soon she was hopping back off again and darting up the stairs and into the light of day.

Grinning at nothing in particular, she detoured to the nearest Starbucks for a latte and a breakfast sandwich before continuing towards the ROM, checking the time on her phone as she went. Barely past 8:30; sweet. She'd have to go in the employee entrance, but that wasn't a big deal; Evie would definitely be there already.

Striding past the main doors and around the back to the employee entrance, Isis dug her key card out of her wallet and swiped it in the lock, waiting for the distinct 'click' before pulling the door open and heading inside.

"Morning, Derek!" she greeted the security guard as she passed his office, waving with a friendly grin.

"Morning Isis." Derek grinned back and stood, surprised when she kept walking, "What, no chat this morning?"

"Sorry, Derek, I'm in a hurry!" the blonde scurried away, pausing only once she was out of his sight before stopping, surprised at herself.

Derek was tall, handsome, and brawny; she'd had a crush on him since he'd started working there as a security guard. And now... that crush was gone. She'd felt nothing.

_What is wrong with me?_ She wondered idly, continuing along the familiar corridors that would lead her to the deeper levels of the museum,_ My crush of three years has simply disappeared... because of a dream guy? Geez, my parents are rubbing off on me in the loony department..._

Even stranger, she found herself _comparing_ Derek to Sphinx as she walked, mind buzzing. _Sphinx is more lithely muscled, like a cat; he's not crazy brawny. It suits him. And he's warm to... whoa, Isis, get a hold of yourself! Frig, hormones, man..._

Sighing and shaking her head at herself, Isis approached the proper door and lifted a hand to knock, calling "Aunt Evie, you in there?"

A chair pushing back and footsteps answered her before the door opened, revealing the woman she'd come to see, "Ah, Isis, you never disappoint me, girl. Come in, come in, it's good to see you; would you like a tea?"

"Naw." Isis lifted her latte and grinned, "I'm set."

"Good, good. Well, come in, dear."

Isis stepped into the room and headed for the chair indicated, watching the older woman as she closed the door and headed back to her own seat.

Evelyn Masters had to be pushing 80, but she looked and moved as if she were only in her early 60s. She had long grey hair that she kept pulled back in a tight bun, a wisp hanging in front of each ear. Her eyes were a sharp, knowing blue-grey, and her back was straight and strong, skin barely wrinkled and hands as deft as they had been in their youth.

People joked she had found the secret to immortality while she was an archeologist; with all the crazy stuff that she knew about her 'aunt', Isis could see where the rumour had come from.

"You wanted to see me?" she prompted finally, rather uncomfortable under her god mothers knowing gaze. Strange; normally she had no problems being under that scrutinizing stare, but today she felt fidgety as all hell.

"Your aura is different, Isis." Evelyn stated simply, fingers steepled on the desk in front of her, "_You_ are different."

"I am not."

"You brushed Derek off." When all the younger woman did was gape, Evelyn smirked, "I know many things, Isis dear. Now tell me, what has happened to change the crush you've had for years?"

"Nothing, really." Isis shrugged, blushing as she recalled the dreams, "Just... it's done. I knew it would never go anywhere, anyways."

"There's more to it than that."

"Aunt Evie, seriously, there's nothing." _Dreams about strange Egyptian men that I am far to attracted to don't count._

"And what is that bite mark on your throat?" Evie's smile was suddenly predatory, "Goodness, dear, could that be a _love_ bite...?"

_Bingo._ "No! Geez, Aunt Evie, what do you take me for?" Isis scowled, "Cleo scratched me a couple days ago; not on purpose, I surprised her."

Cleo was the family cat, a sleek black feline obviously named for the Egyptian Queen. She and Isis had a history of not getting along. _Shoot, I need to find the cat, too. Dammit._

"If you say so, dear." Evelyn gave her a look that clearly said _I know you're lying_, but didn't push it. Isis was gratefully; she was barely holding back a blush as it was, thinking about how she'd actually gotten the mark.

"Now then, I _did_ call you here for a reason besides catching up and teasing you."

Isis couldn't help but smile, just a little; Evelyn she at least got along with better than her Egypt-crazy parents. "You mentioned a performance. What on earth did you send them chasing after this time, Aunt Evie? Seriously; I'd never seen them this excited!"

"Oh, just some rather interesting artifacts, my dear. Something a little different; there are even hints that they may be relics from the time of Tutankhamen's life."

"Oh? That's strange; I thought everything about King Tut had been discovered already?"

"One never knows what the desert is hiding, dear. Anyways, back on topic; there will be a big opening gala the first night the exhibit is shown, and both your parents and I feel as though the night should begin with a performance."

"Given the nature of the artifacts in question, and the fact that a performance would draw in more attention for the exhibit, the directors have agreed."

Isis sighed mentally. "What do I have to do?"

"My, you're agreeing easily today."

"You'll just guilt trip me until I agree anyways." Isis mumbled, gaining a knowing smirk from the older woman, "So what is it?"

"A dance to start off the festivities; something rather more provocative then anything we've had you perform before, dear. I'll send you the information on the specific dance; the artifacts in question, and the dance, are all tied to your namesake."

"Hence the reason you want me to do it."

"Well, you are also the most well versed dancer in the Egyptian styles that we know of; the _real_ Egyptian styles, not those ridiculous dances created for the disco. Plus, you know it makes your parents happy when you are a part of their work."

"Yeah, I know." Isis tried to smile, barely managing a weak twitch of her lips, "Is that everything you wanted to talk to me about, Aunt Evie?"

"You have pressing matters, I take it?"

Now she gave a lopsided grin, "Laundry. I've kinda let it pile up longer then I should have. And I need to find Cleo; she's been hiding since... uh, since she scratched me."

Evelyn smiled that knowing smile again, standing and ushering her god daughter to the door, "Very well, Isis, I shall leave you to your errands. Don't forget to visit sometimes, whether I've called in a favor or not. It is always a pleasure to see you."

"I know, Aunt Evie, sorry; I'll try to visit more soon." The blonde girl waved goodbye and headed back out the way she had come, glad at least that that part of her day was over.

She hardly acknowledged Derek on her way out, pausing once out in the sunlight and taking a deep breath, soaking in the warming rays.

_Okay, best get home and get started on that laundry._ She nodded to herself determinedly, taking off at a quick jog for the subway station, _The quicker I do that the quicker I can find that damn cat._

Not that she really _wanted_ to find the cat, per say, but she kind of had to. Cleo had been around since she was a kid, and the damned feline never showed any signs of aging or slowing down. Her parents waved it off as lucky genetics, but it had always bothered Isis.

Especially since she seemed to be the cat's favorite scratching post.

Reaching her house fairly quickly, Isis entered and set herself to work. Every stereo in the house was turned on and synced up, music following her everywhere. Hair readjusted into a high ponytail on top of her head, she rolled up her sleeves and went to work.

First was piling her laundry into a giant fabric laundry-bag and throwing it down both flights of stairs, following leisurely afterwards. Once in the laundry room she dumped it out and went to sorting; normally a pile for whites and a pile for darks would suffice, but she had far too much this time around. Ending up with five piles she sighed and shoved the first light load into the machine, dumping in the soap and setting the alarm to the highest volume she could.

That at least started, it was time to work on the house.

She worked up; the basement she barely used, so it just needed a good dusting. The main floor was the same asides from the kitchen, which she kept fairly neat anyways. Still, she made sure all the dishes were done and the counters were scrubbed, pausing to switch the laundry when the shrill alarm blared through the music.

She washed the sink in the half-bath and gave the toilet a quick scrub before switching the laundry again, then headed up to the top floor. It wasn't like she could do anything in her parents study; she stayed out of there if she could help it, honestly. The place was a disaster zone.

Once more, dusting was the majority of the work that was needed; her parent's room and bathroom she left alone, and the spare room very rarely saw any use. She paused to change the laundry one more time before tackling her own areas, knowing they needed some work.

Not that she was a terribly messy person or anything; she just honestly hadn't bothered cleaning up in a while. She'd been spending a lot of time with Melanie or at school, since being home alone grated on her nerves.

_Still need to find the cat..._

Isis put fresh sheets on her bed and tossed the dirty ones down the stairs so she wouldn't forget to wash them, picking up the few items that lay on the floor and returning them to their proper positions. Her closet looked empty, and she had to laugh; geez, another day and she'd have had no clean clothes left, period. Thank God for Tuesdays.

Moving on to the bathroom, Isis hummed along with whatever song was playing on the radios, glad to be occupied with something. It meant she wasn't dwelling on the dreams for the moment.

Finished, the blonde girl sighed and headed for the basement, resigning herself as she went. _Okay. Everything is clean, and I only have one more load of laundry to go. I gotta find the damn cat._

Isis froze halfway up the stairs, listening. There had been a noise from the main floor. Subtle, almost covered by the music still playing throughout the house, but just loud enough for her to catch.

It had sounded like a door creaking open.

Slowly, wishing she had a weapon on hand, she crept up the stairs, straining for any other sounds. She peeked around the corner of the stairway when she got to the top, staring.

The door to her parents study was open. Just a crack, not enough for someone to slip through, but still inexplicably opened.

Tiptoeing forwards and grabbing a long-ish artifact from the ground as she went, Isis held it against her chest and carefully reached for the door, heart pounding.

She waited five seconds before swinging it open and jumping into the doorway with a 'HAH!', artifact extended like a sword. And then she blinked, stared for a moment, and gave a rough sigh, hands dropping to her sides, "Dammit, Cleo."

The cat sat on top of her parent's desk, nimbly perched on a stack of books and licking her paw as though she hadn't been interrupted at all. Golden eyes peered at her seconds later, the feline jumping fluidly to the ground and coming to circle around her feet, purring and rubbing against her ankles.

"Yeah, okay, cat, suck up and be nice after you gave me a heart attack. How the hell did you even get in here? I _know_ that door was closed."

Cleo merely gave a quiet _meow_ and trotted off towards the kitchen, tail swaying.

Sighing again, Isis stepped into the room and frowned, coughing a little at the dust spread around. Seriously, how had the cat gotten in? There weren't any ways besides the door, as far as she knew; though Cleo _did_ have a talent for pulling disappearing acts like this.

"Stupid cat." She grumbled, glancing at a few papers on the desk before retreating and making _sure_ the door was closed behind her. She hated going in there; much too musty and cluttered.

"Alright, Cleo, I know you want dinner." Isis emptied the old food from the cats dish and mixed some new dry and wet food together, popping it back on the ground. Her lips twitched as the cat went at it, "Someone's hungry; glad you approve."

Making herself a quick sandwich, Isis took a break to throw in the last load of laundry and then did her few dishes, stretching with a yawn. Glancing out the window, she blinked, startled to see how dark it was. _Geez, took longer than I thought. Oh well._

She walked around the house turning off radios and lights, sorting out the finished laundry while she waited for the final load to finish. That done, she tossed it in the drier and headed for bed, planning on grabbing it in the morning.

Cleo followed her upstairs, though she disappeared shortly after; she always did.

_Not like I want __**that**__ cat for a bed buddy anyways._

Again Isis frowned at her own thoughts, trying to shake them out of her head while blaming hormones all the while.

Honestly tired and more than ready to sleep, she simply crawled into bed in her yoga pants and t-shirt and passed out, barely noticing the shift in beds as her body sunk into the covers.

She was too comfortable to even care that she was alone in the strange bed. At least at first.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

"Hey, uh, Sphinx?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I, uh, ask you something?"

Dinner with Ketta and Kotta had turned out even more interesting then Sphinx had planned on; the Helian couple was sharper then he'd given them credit for.

He'd ended up having to tell his three friends about the dreams – leaving out several rather _intimate_ details – and, honestly? Felt better that he had. Secrets weren't something he liked; having people he could talk to about whatever it was that was happening felt... good.

_And_ they'd all sworn on the name of Ra that they wouldn't say anything to Imhotep. He wasn't sure what his master's reaction would be to news of the dreams plaguing his apprentice, but he probably wouldn't like it.

It had been a rather entertaining evening, but Sphinx was glad to be back on the Island. Mainly because he was tired, but... admittedly also because he was looking forwards to meeting with his nightly lover again. Dream she may be, but she was intriguing; he'd even be happy just having her in his arms while he slept again.

He didn't mind waiting a bit, though, if his mummy friend wanted to talk; he knew from Tut's stories of Luxor that he'd never really had 'friends'. He'd been surrounded by servants and nobility, Sphinx knew, but that wasn't the same.

Nefertiti had been his friend, of course, but she was also the woman he loved; again, slightly different.

So now, he paused midway up the steps to the Shrine, looking back at the mummy and silently urging him to continue. Patience was not his strong point by any means, but Tut had suffered enough in his short life; the demi-god would be the last person to snap at him if he could help it.

"How do you, uh... you know? I mean..." the poor mummy stumbled over his words even as he stumbled up the steps, passing Sphinx and motioning dramatically as he headed inside, "Um... how do you... ugh, how do I say this?"

Sphinx failed to hide a smirk as he followed him, amused; Tut could be so awkward sometimes. "C'mon, Tut, spit it out! Just ask me whatever it is."

"Howdoyouknowifagirllikesyou?" he blurted, "And... and... I _know_ you left parts out of your details, Sphinx, I could tell! But... how do you know if... _she_ wants that or... or... how-"

"Whoa, Tut, slow down. Easy." Sphinx tried to look annoyed, but the amused grin spread on his lips wouldn't go away, "Tut. You're _engaged_, remember? You'd think you'd know more about this then I do."

"Well, yeah... b-but that's different!"

"Oh?" Sphinx arched an eyebrow, motioning for his friend to keep walking, "How so?"

"Well, y'know... sure, _I_ like Nefertiti, and she _seems_ like she likes me, but the engagement was also thought of by my father. Typical royal stuff." Tut headed into the rooms he'd been given for his stay, plopping down on the edge of his bed, "I _think_ I love her, but I don't know! How do you know?"

Sphinx only shrugged, "It's just something you figure out, I guess."

"You guess?" Tut frowned, "Aren't you in love with your... y'know, dream girl?"

"I'm in _lust_ with her." The demi-god corrected gently, "There's physical attraction there, yes. And something more, or else neither of us would be so crazy for someone we barely know. But love? Not so much." _Though if things keep up the way they are, there might end up being something there._ "I don't know her, Tut, as much as my dream self seems to. You can't love someone you don't know."

"B-but you feel _something_, right? Not just lust?"

"Yes." It felt weird to admit it, but it was true, "There's _something_ there. But she's a dream, Tut; and while it may seem real while it's happening, it's _not_."

Something about saying that out loud made him scowl, knowing it was true. No matter how real she felt, the girl was a dream and nothing more.

Right?

"Sphinx? Y-you okay?"

"What? Sorry, Tut; I'm fine." The demi-god blinked, clearing his mind, "And trust me, you have nothing to worry about. You're, what, 16? You have plenty of time to figure out what love is; and I'm pretty sure you've got it with Nefertiti."

"You think so?"

"I know so. She was broken when you were taken from her. It'll work out." Standing, Sphinx nodded to his friend and put a hand to the door, "If you don't mind, Tut, I'm heading to bed; you should get some rest, too. I know Imhotep said a week, but he has a tendency to run ahead of schedule."

"Sure, no problem!" All smiles again, the mummy waved, "Night, Sphinx!"

"Night, Tut."

Sphinx exited the room and headed quickly for his own, pushing back the reed curtain and entering with a sigh of relief. He hadn't seen Ayh since that awkward morning when she'd offered to 'help', and he thanked Ra; he didn't need a nosey apprentice causing more problems.

Glancing around, the demi-god spotted a line of silver on the ground and frowned, bending to pick it up. He grasped it just as the world began to go hazy, fading around him...

_...only to reappear in vivid colour as though nothing had happened, the broken hair-tie he'd ripped from the girls hair in their second encounter glimmering in his hand._

_Turning at a soft, feminine sigh, Sphinx grinned softly, quietly approaching the bed. The blonde girl was curled around his pillow, back towards him and feet twitching in her sleep._

_Stripping off his various pieces of armor and wrist wraps, Sphinx carefully crawled over her to sprawl on the unoccupied side of the bed, wrapping an arm around her to pull her against him and nuzzle against her neck, rumbling contentedly._

"_Hullo." She murmured sleepily, hazy green watching him from beneath slitted lids, a tiny smile tipping her lips, "Starting to wonder if y'were coming t'bed."_

"_Of course." He kissed her softly, then dangled the broken hair tie in front of her face, "Recognize this?"_

"_My hair tie." She mumbled, attempting a fake glare, "Wondered where that went. Not t'mention the mark y'left on me. People been noticing, Sphinx; you suck."_

"_Had to show you were mine." He purred, baring sharp fangs, "It's fading, to; I guess I need to make another one."_

"_Not t'night, pervert." She snuggled against him, clearly on the verge of passing out, "Later. G'night."_

"_Good night." He sighed, breathing in the scent of her hair; strange soaps and flowers and feminine things. And he wished, more than anything, that she was real._


	5. Chapter 5: Mid-Terms and Messengers

**Authors Note:** Hey again! :D I don't care how weird it may seem that I'm updating this thing so quickly! I haven't had so much inspiration for an idea in ages; I'm rolling with it while I can! That said, while I do have major plot points written down, overall I'm just going with the flow here, so sorry if anything seems somewhat out of place! Not on purpose I swear!

One note of different, for whenever it gets mentioned; for any hardcore fans, you'll probably recognize the name **Sakkara**, if only vaguely. It was a location removed from the game before it shipped, but from screenshots I've seen and descriptions I've read, it seems like it would have been a cool area! Anyways, for intents and purposes, I'm using the region in this story. Mainly because I don't know wtf is behind half of the Great Wall, and I'm assuming it was likely meant to be Sakkara.

Either way, enjoy! :D

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Mid-terms and Messengers**

The next few days were rather uneventful on both Isis and Sphinx' sides.

Isis was busy with school, mostly; it was practically midterms, and even she knew better then to escape for a dance-period during such a hectic time.

Stress was also beginning to build for another reason; Aunt Evie had sent over the specifics of the dance she needed to perform, but she hadn't had the time to even glance it over yet. Likewise, her parents had left another message; there had been a few casualties during the dig, but they were fine! And they had actually unearthed things much more quickly then they'd expected; they would be back by the following Wednesday.

Cleo had disappeared again, to, though not before biting her at least three times and scratching her in a few dozen places.

Sphinx's time had mostly been spent with Tutankhamen, trying to prepare him for whatever lay ahead. Imhotep had contacted him and let him know that, as the demi-god had predicted, he would be back shortly; likely within a period of two days.

That was fine by him; the sooner they were out of the Shrine, the happier he would be. Even during training sessions when he was trying to teach Tut how to handle a sword, Sphinx had noticed a certain apprentice watching from the sidelines, golden eyes following his every movement.

Sphinx was doing his best not to snap, but darting through the corridors of the shrine and glancing over his shoulder every ten seconds were weighing on his patience. Whatever she was, she was annoyingly persistent, and he had no interest in whatever it was she wanted.

Their nights had been spent in his bed, snuggled closely together and talking softly before they passed out. Sphinx wanted more, honestly; there was a constant heat in his body whenever she was near, and it urged him to act. She was always so tired that he couldn't bring himself to start much, though; her eyes drooping with exhaustion was a good hint that she probably just wanted to sleep.

He _had_ re-marked her, much to her waking self's chagrin. A deeper, more permanent mark this time; one that definitely couldn't be mistaken for anything but what it was. Isis covered it with a band aid every morning; one that Sphinx always pulled off and that she could never find once she woke up.

Strange and alarming as the dreams should have been, neither really questioned them. Isis was too busy with school to much care about anything but the warmth of Sphinx's arms and how well she slept when she dreamt of him. Sphinx was used to things being strange; dreams were an important part of his culture. They usually meant more then they seemed and, real or not, her presence was intoxicating.

Come Saturday, all Isis wanted to do was escape from the world and_ dance_. She woke slowly and savoured the remnants of Sphinx's warmth before forcing herself from the bed, stretching.

She took her time getting ready, eating a full bowl of cereal for the first time in ages and brushing her teeth really well, happy once she was full and clean. Isis didn't care what she wore today, pulling on yoga pants and a sports bra with a loose sweater on top, covering the mark on the throat.

Heading back to the main floor she grabbed a water bottle and her purse, slipping on flip-flops and hurrying out the door.

Finally, she was caught up on all of her assignments and studying and what-have-you's. Her parents would be home in a matter of days, and Evie was counting on her to learn that dance; fine, great. She'd deal with that _tomorrow_.

Today was hers and all she wanted was to get out of the house and _dance_.

Being alone really _was_ starting to weight on her, she knew, though it wasn't her parent's presence that she wanted. Waking up warm only to have the feeling disappear seconds later was making her loneliness peak higher than ever.

He might not be human, or real, or whatever, but she wanted Sphinx around _more_ than just in her dreams. He _was_ the reason her crush on Derek had disappeared, because he was just that amazing. And even though she wouldn't be throwing herself at him in real life like she did in her dreams, she could at least admit, to herself, that she liked him.

Hard not to when the guy was doing everything he could to make you comfortable and happy, right?

_Don't think about it right now._ Isis chastised herself, striding through the empty corridors of the University, _Wishing won't do anything. Just go, dance your heart out, and then go home. Simple as that._

Even if dancing alone no longer seemed as fun as it had been.

Locking the door behind her and once more pulling the curtain down, Isis flung her sweater aside and headed for the stereo, syncing it up. Instead of trusting the shuffle to do its job, however, she searched for a specific song, knowing it was upbeat enough to get her heart pumping and her body sweating.

"Ole Ole!" the stereo sang, and Isis backed up into the middle of the room, hips moving unconsciously.

The lyrics seemed strangely appropriate, but Isis really didn't care, already lost in the beat. Eyes closing out of habit she moved to the rhythm, stepping forwards, backwards, hips shaking, arms twisting, spinning, jumping, shifting, things going hazy...

_...even as the music continued to pump, the change in the room going completely unnoticed by the dancer. She was too lost in the music to care, letting out every ounce of energy and longing through her movements._

"_What are you doing?" a deep voice rumbled suddenly, startling her. _

_Emerald eyes snapped open and locked with deep chocolate brown, trapped. Sphinx stood at the edge of the room, almost as though he had come through the locked door. He wore all of his usual armor, and his skin looked shiny, as though he too had been doing something tiring._

"_Dancing." She replied simply, batting her eyes even as she kept moving to the music, lips twitching, "What does it look like?"_

"_No dancing I've ever seen." His voice was a deeper rasp now, eyes following her every movement, entranced. Isis lifted her arms above her head and arched, hips shimmying, knowing exactly how much skin she was showing and loving the effect it was having on him._

"_I think you like it." She teased, spinning on one foot and landing with the other somewhat bent, dipping backwards and arching her belly towards the ceiling before snapping herself back up, hair flaring around her face; she'd forgotten to tie it back._

"_Definitely." He was stalking towards her then, eyes dark, and she danced backwards away from him, smirking. She knew this game, and she had every intention of playing it as long as she could._

_Sphinx reached for her and she spun sideways, avoiding his grasp and dancing around him, laughter bubbling up at the low growl that escaped him. She continued to avoid him for another few moments, the music hitting a high point in the background._

_Isis shrieked with laugher when he finally caught her by one wrist and spun her in against his chest, arms wrapping firmly around her waist to keep her there. Even when he tried to glare at her she just kept laughing, the sound bubbling up from within. _

"_Minx." He snarled, though it was a soft, possessive sound, and a grin peaked through his glare. _

_Isis only wiggled, hands on his chest as she smiled, "Dance with me."_

"_Dance?" Sphinx blinked, suddenly blank, "I don't dance."_

"_Come on, I'll teach you." Isis used his surprise to pull away, taking his hands in hers. She linked fingers with him and held them in front of them, smiling, "Just follow me and the music, okay?"_

_Sphinx seemed skeptical, but he nodded. Happy, Isis squeezed his hands and took a step back, indicating for him to follow her, then did the opposite, smirking when he did the same. Good, he was catching on quickly._

_Despite his objections, the demi-god caught on pretty quickly, following her movements and the rhythm of the music. He surprised her several times when he either spun her around or bent her backwards in a dip, eyes dark the entire time and heat radiating off of him; Isis would be lying if she said it wasn't having a distinct effect on her. _

_They were both panting and covered in sweat by the time they stopped, Sphinx plopping easily onto the ground and pulling Isis down into his lap._

_The blonde girl let him maneuver her, forehead resting against his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath, arms linked loosely around his neck while his were around her waist._

_She heard him chuckle and shivered when his hands squeezed at her hips, breath warm on her throat. "You're right." He managed, voice husky, "I do like your dancing. You don't do that for anyone else, do you?"_

"_Just myself." She panted, heat flooding her body for a completely different reason, "And you, now. This is the first time you've invaded __**my**__ side, Sphinx."_

"_Hmm." The demi-god let one hand wander, claws drawing gentle circles on the small of her back, "Interesting place, too. Smells weird. This is where you live?"_

"_God, no. This is my school."_

"_School?" Sphinx's eyebrows creased, "You're an apprentice?"_

"_Student. Close enough. Ah." Isis shivered again when his hand wandered higher up her back, close to the strap of her bra, "Pervert."_

"_Says the woman who wears barely anything." He purred, fangs glinting when he smiled, a predatory look that flushed her with heat, "You're asking for it, really."_

"_Hmph. Well you wear too __**much**__ clothing, Sphinx." Isis pulled teasingly at the armored collar covering most of his chest, lips twitching, "Though I __**do**__ like a man in armor..."_

"_Sorry. I was training with Tut before... this."_

"_Tut?"_

"_Tutankhamen. Somewhat defenceless friend of mine." Sphinx's pointed ears pricked then, and he turned to stare intently off towards a wall, "I'm being called?"_

"_What?" Isis listened carefully, but couldn't hear anything besides the music still pumping behind them. _

_He was going see-through suddenly, she noticed; was that how it looked every time she disappeared? She clung to him tighter, frowning; she didn't like it._

"_Sorry, I have to wake up." The demi-god turned and kissed her soundly; a deep, intimate touch that left her flushed and breathless, "Till tonight."_

"_Bye..." she whispered, eyes fluttering as he seemed to vanish..._

...hissing slightly when she hit the ground, no longer supported by his weight. She froze in the middle of rubbing her sore bottom, eyes wide, staring at where he'd been sitting.

Wait. She'd literally just hit the ground, as though she was actually _sitting_ on something. And she was still exhausted, covered in sweat, and far too hot for comfort. As though he had _actually been there_.

_Tutankhamen, huh?_ She mused, forcing herself to stand, _Maybe I'll find something out from all those artifacts Mom and Dad are bringing home..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

Sphinx's vision came back into focus suddenly, the demi-god blinking and staring around the room, half-dazed.

He was still in the Shrine's training room; sitting on the ground, admittedly, whereas he'd been standing before the dream trance had overcome him. The girls weight and warmth remained for a second before disappearing, and he scowled, tail flicking irritably.

It was lucky that Tut had gone to meet the Luxor messenger when he did; he didn't know what would have happened if the mummy had been in the room when the dream began. Would he have seen anything? Or would it simply look like Sphinx had gone crazy, since _obviously_ he hadn't been standing still the entire time?

It was strange to think he had been in a different place, though; before this, it had always been his room in the shrine that the dreams had taken place in. Now he had seen a glimpse of the dream girls world, and it was definitely different then his own.

_Think about it later, Sphinx, someone was calling you._

Standing and shaking himself off – and swearing to take a bath as soon as he could – Sphinx headed for the entrance, listening. He paused halfway there, scowling and cursing his luck; Ayh stood in the doorway, smiling what he assumed to be an innocent smile and standing with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Ayh." He tried to be polite, keeping the snarl from his voice, "Did you call me?"

"Yes, Master Sphinx. You are wanted in the main chamber; Prince Tutankhamen and the Luxor messenger are awaiting you."

"Alright. Did Tut say what he wanted?"

"No, but the messenger looks somewhat familiar. I think he was an apprentice until fairly recently, one of the older ones."

Sphinx started, hurrying past her and up towards the main chamber. That couldn't be right. The only apprentice that had been around longer than the others brought with Ayh was...

"Horus!" the demi-god snarled when he entered the chamber, narrowed eyes pinned angrily on the bird-like traitor that dared to stand there.

"Sphinx, my old friend!" the bird demi-god smiled, a greasy look that Sphinx hadn't missed seeing, "Good to see you, as always."

"Spare me the lies, why are you here?"

"Sphinx, wait, its okay!" Tut forced himself between the two arguing demi-gods, waving a letter in Sphinx's face, "He's a messenger from Luxor! He's working for my brother!"

"What?" Sphinx scowled, taking the letter but not taking his eyes off of Horus, "Why would they allow you to even leave there alive, traitor? You were working for Set!"

"Only so that I could sabotage him from within!" Horus replied hotly, arms crossed, "Your mummy friend did a good job, but without _my_ doings in the castle, you _never_ would have been able to defeat Set!"

"What about the Dark Stone of Invisibility that you hoped would _kill_ me?"

"Oh, please, I knew you weren't stupid enough to use it! And it helped Prince Tutankhamen, did it not?"

"Guys, SERIOUSLY!" Tut stomped his foot and bellowed, surprising the other two. Then he turned a wide smile on Sphinx, "Read the letter, would you?"

"Fine."

_Dearest Tut,_

_I eagerly await the day that Sphinx returns you to my side, and hope that all is as well as can be with you. Horus here is the newest messenger in your father, the Pharaoh's, palace, and he is working diligently beside Akhenaten to right the wrongs Set committed in Luxor. He asked to be the one to deliver this message, as he had news he wanted to share with his former Master and fellow apprentices, and so here he is._

_The wedding is set to be performed as soon as you are whole and returned to me, and I shall wait forever if need be. Your father mentioned that if possible, he would prefer to perform the ceremony in the season of Isis, so to protect us from further mischief of the Gods._

_I await your response and am, forever, your beloved fiancée. Please give Imhotep my best regards, and say hello to Sphinx for me._

_Yours forever,_

_All my love and luck,_

_Nefertiti_

"And you wanted me to read this, because...?" Sphinx knew of course, and despite Horus being present couldn't help a smirk.

"She loves me!" the mummy exclaimed happily, clapping and dancing around in one spot, "She said so! You were right, Sphinx! She loves me!"

"Now we just need to turn you back." He didn't want to burst his friends bubble, but it was the truth.

"Speaking of which, I can help you with that."

Two heads swiveled to face Horus, one set of eyes narrowed while the other was curious. "Oh?"

"Imhotep is likely getting the same information from Anubis as we speak, but I happened upon it during my time in Castle Uruk. Set didn't much care what I did, so long as I was out of the way; the library was ripe for the picking."

"Only one person can heal the lost piece of soul from the broken Canopic Jar, my dearest prince. Had Set not killed her when he injured Osiris, your life would have been a lot easier, but alas, such is life."

"What are you talking about?" Sphinx demanded, not liking where he was going.

Horus smirked, "You have to find the reincarnation of Isis."


	6. Chapter 6: Trust and Trials

**Author's Note:** Hi guys! First off, I wanted to tell people – the song I was thinking of/listening to when I wrote the dance scene in the last chapter was that Follow the Leader remix by JLo and... those two... guys... I donno I don't remember their names, but that's the song!

Also... this is likely going to be a shorter chapter, but we'll see how it goes. It's more of a transition chapter, so we'll see what happens. Either way, ENJOY! :D

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Trust and Trials**

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

"Master, we _can't_ trust him! The only reason he even survived in Uruk when we thought he was dead was because of Set's help!"

"I know, Sphinx, but the almighty Ra is forgiving; if he has seen fit to leave Horus be, we must trust what he says."

"Imhotep, he tried to kill all of us on numerous occasions; he never liked me, and he's done his best to thwart our every move. How can you forgive that so easily?"

"Sphinx, listen to me." The older priest paused mid step, turning to face his apprentice straight on, "I know there is bad blood between you two; I realize that Horus likely intended harm when he gave you the Dark Stone. But we must look towards the future, not dwell on past mistakes. We have no proof that he has any interest except helping, and so, for now, he is welcome here."

"You forget, Sphinx; Horus has been my apprentice longer then you. And while, yes, you were the better learner, and now wield the blade of Osiris, he is just as entitled to the comforts of this Shrine as you are."

"I know, Master." The words were practically gritted out, the demi-gods fists clenched and his tail flicking rapidly, "I still don't like it."

"Nor do I expect you to. Come along, however; now is not the time to argue. We must discuss the way to help our dear Tutankhamen."

Sphinx forced himself to relax as much as he possibly could before following after the older man, shoulders stiff as they ascended into the worship room of the Shrine.

Imhotep had arrived a scarce hour after Horus, intruding on a rather loud and abrasive shouting match between the two demi-gods. Tut had taken shelter by the portal god, looking on in both fear and curiosity. The priest had angrily broken them up, though his demeanor softened quickly and he settled for separating them rather than punishing them.

He'd spoken to Horus first, which would have ruffled Sphinx if he hadn't been preoccupied with thoughts of his own. The reincarnation of Isis, Horus had said.

Isis had been Osiris's wife; a powerful wielder of both healing and defensive magic. She was the Mother Goddess, the symbol of fertility and motherhood, of all things pure and clean.

She had died protecting Osiris from Set, likely giving him the chance to escape, weak as he was. And now, apparently, she had been reincarnated. And they had to find her.

_How the __**hell**__ do you find the reincarnation of a goddess?_

She wouldn't be a full goddess anymore that was for sure; she would likely be a demi-goddess. But where would a demi-goddess be hiding? It wasn't easily done.

_Anubis must have known something, for Imhotep to be back so quickly. Or Ra helped._

Ra probably knew where the reincarnation was, but Gods were fickle; he would likely expect them to find her on their own.

Now, two days later, the worship room was filled with priests, as per usual, though they paid little attention to the master and apprentice as they entered the room and headed for the main platform higher up.

Horus and Tut already stood there waiting, the former with his arms crossed and the latter looking like he was going to vomit from nervousness. Or possibly excitement; who knew.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Prince Tutankhamen. I am pleased to say we have made progress, and known of a way to return the remaining part of your soul to you."

"G-go on." Tut tried to contain his excitement and failed miserably, practically bouncing in spot. Imhotep nodded towards Horus.

"You have the basics from Horus, but I would rather tell you some of the details. Ra came to Anubis and I and gave us a lead, which is why I have returned so quickly.

Had Isis not been slain by Set, she would have been able to fix it instantly. As things stand, however, we must find her reincarnation."

Imhotep paused, stroking his beard and glancing pointedly at Sphinx, before turning back to Tut, "This is easier said than done. Ra declared that 'she is alive and healthy, but has no knowledge of her powers. She lies beyond your Great Wall and must be located via the Cat Goddess's whims."

"Bast?" Sphinx couldn't help blurting, eyebrows lifted, "Her temple is in Sakkara, isn't it? On the other side of the wall."

"Good, Sphinx, you remembered your lessons. Yes, we must seek out Bast, and yes, we must travel beyond the Great Wall. Anubis is working to make a new path through the wall, leading as close to Bast's temple as is possible. We have a few days to prepare, but we must move quickly; Ra predicts that we must find the temple before the season of Isis, lest we may miss our chance at finding her."

"Get some sleep, all of you. We must begin preparations in the morning. I will be accompanying you to Bast's temple, but beyond that it will be you three alone."

"Yes, Master."

"Alright."

"S-sounds good!"

Wishing he could share in Tut's excitement but unable to because of Horus and the impending journey, Sphinx strode quickly from the room, wanting to make it to his rooms without any run-ins with Ayh.

He didn't think his patience would hold up tonight.

Mentally exhausted, Sphinx pushed through the curtain to his room and paused to glance around, paranoid. Sure that he was alone, he dropped the curtain and sprawled on the bed, too tired to care about anything other than sleep.

He vaguely noticed when the air around him took on a chillier note and the bed under him expanded and softened, but the familiar, feminine scent of it all filled his nose and he was out like a light...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

"Kill me now." Isis groaned as she flopped into her seat, practically sprawling on the desk in front of her.

Melanie gave a similar grunt from her own seat, waving a hand in her general direction, "Please, this hasn't even _started_ yet, Isis. Geez; how're you holding up?"

"Lousy." The platinum blonde lifted her head and scrubbed at her eyes, trying to stay awake, "Mom and Dad are supposed to be back any day, and I _still_ haven't looked at that dance Aunt Evie sent me yet."

"Ouch. Homework done?"

"That's the one thing I _did_ manage to finish." She sighed, sliding backwards and staring at the ceiling, "_Had_ to have a late class this week, didn't we? The one night I just want to go home and _sleep_!"

_And cuddle with Sphinx, but that's beside the point._

She would survive so long as she got to sleep in his arms every night, she knew; she hadn't slept so well in years. Something about being curled against a warm, strong chest just made a girl relax...

_Hate to admit it, but I'd love to do __**more**__ than just sleep. Too bad we're both always so exhausted._

Another long sigh gained a sympathetic glance from Melanie, making her twitch in guilt. She wished she could tell her about what was going on, but she'd probably just think she was crazy. Or pretend she believed her and call a psych ward on her ass... ugh, no thanks.

The professor walked in then, looking as tired as his students. He did his best to keep himself lively and the lecture interesting, but Isis still almost nodded off half a dozen times, her mind teasing her with quick images of a sleeping form surrounded by comfy sheets...

That last image made her blink herself awake, scowling. That had looked like _her_ bed, not Sphinx's.

Her heart jumped. He'd crossed to her side once; why not again?

Stupidly eager, Isis practically tossed her things in her bag as soon as the class was over and bid Melanie a good night, suddenly awake. She dashed from the building and practically ran the whole way home, slamming into the house and throwing it locked behind her.

Suddenly nervous and feeling rather silly, she dropped her bag and kicked off her shoes, slowly making her way up the stairs to the top floor.

She'd made it all the way to her door before the haze started to kick in, her vision going somewhat blurry as she grabbed her doorknob...

_...and then clearing as she quietly twisted it, pushing the door open and stepping in. A smile spread across her lips then, and she closed the door behind her, careful to tiptoe across the room. _

_Sphinx was passed out in her bed, curled on his side around one of her many pillows and half covered by her sheets. He'd gone to bed in his armor, the poor thing; he had to be exhausted._

_Stripping down to her bra and panties, Isis carefully crawled onto the bed, glad that he had picked the left edge; she could maneuver herself to be in front of him, doing her best not to touch him._

_In a somewhat comfortable position, she used it to her advantage and gently took his face in her hands, bending to kiss him sweetly. A somewhat sharp intake of breath told her he'd woken up, and she pulled back with a soft smile, still holding his face, "Hi, sleepyhead. Like my bed?"_

"_Mmmm..." the demi-god stretched before grabbing her and pulling her down, clearly still half asleep, "Comfy. Smells like you."_

"_And that's a good thing?"_

"_Mhm. I like your scent." He nuzzled into her neck then, breath making her shiver, "Sorry; long day."_

"_Me, too." She curled closer into him, relaxed for the first time all day, "Anything I can do?"_

"_Just don't move." He mumbled, dozing off again, "Stay with me."_

"_I will." She promised, whispering, "For as long as I can."_


	7. Chapter 7: Preparations and Realizations

**Authors Note:** Alright, guys, here we go! This is where things start to get a bit steamier. You knew this was coming! This story isn't rated M for nothing, puh-lease! No actual sex, but plenty of other lemony goodness. And some discoveries! :D Enjoy!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Preparations and Realizations**

_The first things that registered in Isis' sleepy mind were that she was incredibly warm and incredibly comfortable. The second were the arms wrapped firmly around her mid-section and the warm chest rising and falling against her back._

_Content where she was, the blonde girl sighed sleepily and wiggled in his grasp, turning so she was facing him and curling closer._

_Strange as it was for him to still be there as she was waking, Isis wouldn't complain. She loved the safe comfort of his arms and the possessive way he held her. She didn't want to wake up only to find him gone again._

_Muted sounds and voices came from the floor below her, making her frown in her half-asleep state; she didn't want to wake up, why did they have to be so loud?_

_A throaty chuckle rumbled through his chest even as it hit her ears, arms squeezing her briefly, "Good morning."_

"_Morning." She mumbled sleepily, determined to remain where she was._

"_Could get used to this." He purred, and she shivered when he shifted, a hand ghosting over the bare skin of her back, "Waking up alone is no fun."_

"_Mhm." Was her only reply, eyes remaining stubbornly closed even when she felt him hovering over her, hands pressing into the mattress on either side of her head._

"_Wake up, sleepy head."_

"_Don't wanna."_

_Another chuckle, his breath suddenly tickling her cheek, "So stubborn."_

_Isis opened her eyes just a crack as she rolled onto her back, smiling innocently up at him, "Only with you."_

"_We'll see." He growled, bending down to kiss her. Isis sighed happily, arms wrapping around his neck to pull him down on top of her even as she kissed him back, continuing to ignore the background noises fighting for her attention. _

_Making out in her bed hadn't been in her plans for that morning, but then she hadn't expected Sphinx to still be around, either. The thought that he might disappear at any second urged her on, legs wrapping around his waist to pull him even closer, delighted at the tiny growl it elicited from him._

_Sphinx let a hand wander down her side, claws tracing over the skin before coming to rest at the band of her panties, slipping beneath to cup her bottom possessively. _

_Isis gasped when he squeezed the flesh, the demi-god taking the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth and explore, inviting her own to play._

_Emboldened, Isis ran her hands over the bared skin of his chest, sincerely annoyed at how much his armor covered. She pulled at it insistently, Sphinx releasing her long enough to undo the straps before claiming her mouth again, far too gone to bother removing it completely._

_That was fine by her; she slid her hands up and along the contours of his smooth chest, ghosting over the muscles that tensed beneath his skin, finding scars and tracing along them with her nails._

_Sphinx pulled back with a hiss when her hands wandered down his stomach towards his waistband, heat flaring at her gentle touch. The demi-god leaned down again, but traced kisses and bites down her neck and collarbone instead of returning to her mouth. _

_He kissed the swell of her breasts and smirked at the sharp breath she took, almost shaking under him. Daring, he followed the line of the strange contraption she wore over her bust, shifting a knee to press it between her legs, feeling the heat of her core._

"_Sphinx-!" she whined, startled and gasping, "God..."_

"Isis?"

_The voice filtered through her hazy mind, emerald eyes blinking open with a frown._

"_Wha...?"_

"Isis, honey, are you awake yet? Hello?"

"_What's wrong?" Sphinx was frowning, unable to hear the voices. And, Isis realized with a start, he was disappearing._

"_No!" she clung to him, whining, "I don't want to wake up. Don't go yet!"_

"_I think I have to." He mumbled into her shoulder, arms wrapped around her just as tightly, "I don't want to, either."_

"_Why?" she was crying, she realized, "Why aren't you real?"_

"_I __**am**__ real." He seemed startled, pulling back just enough to make eye contact, "Are you?"_

"_Yes. I'm real." She pulled him down, kissing him, "Come back."_

"_I will." He breathed against her lips, barely visible, "I promise."_

_Isis clung to him as long as she could, his weight and warmth vanishing as though it had never been there..._

...leaving her clinging to nothing and covered in sweat, heat still coursing through her body like fire.

And now she could clearly hear the knocking at her door and the familiar voices drifting in from behind it, the reason she'd woken up.

Terrible as it was, she wished they hadn't come back. Not yet.

"I don't think she's awake yet, dear." She could hear her mother whispering, trying and failing to be quiet.

"Well, its past noon, Meredith, she needs to get up! Don't you think she'll be excited to see everything we've brought back?! And her present-"

"Yes, but if we wake her up-"

"I'M AWAKE!" Isis shouted moodily, a hiccough following the words. Her parents fell silent momentarily, probably feeling bad for waking her up. Good.

"Sorry, Isis, I hope we didn't wake you up! Were you sleeping deeply?"

"I was dreaming." She mumbled, apparently loud enough for them to hear her.

"Oh? Was it a good dream?"

Now she couldn't stop the tears. "Yes." She sobbed, "It was an amazing dream."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

Sphinx stared at his ceiling for what felt like a very long time.

He had no interest in getting up or leaving the room, in beginning preparations or speaking to anyone. He didn't want to help Tut with training, or hear about Nefertiti's latest letter. He didn't want to deal with Ayh or Horus or be stared down by Imhotep.

All Sphinx wanted was to go back to sleep and wipe away his dream woman's tears.

"_I __**am**__ real. Are you?"_

"_Yes. I'm real."_

Sphinx scowled and forced himself to sit up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. _She was crying because I was leaving._ The demi-god rubbed his face, tail flicking absently behind him. _These aren't just dreams anymore; they're something deeper. Visions or something._ He sighed. _I need to talk to Imhotep._

His Master would be busy making preparations, he knew; this would be the first extended absence the older Priest had taken since Sphinx could remember. He needed to make sure the Shrine would be maintained properly in his absence.

The demi-god had few arrangements to make for himself; he owned only a few sets of slacks and one set of armor, the extras of which could easily fit in Bas-Ket. The Blade of Osiris disappeared unless he needed it, and his headdress rarely left his head; he had nothing to prepare.

_I promised Tut a last training session before we leave. May as well get it over with._

Tutankhamen was a good friend, and he felt bad for not wanting to see him. But after the rather heated dream and emotional separation he'd dealt with, the last thing he wanted to hear about was the mummy's wonderful fiancée.

_Be nice. Just let Imhotep know you need to talk to him first._

Finding his Master was easy; the Helian Priest was in the Worship Hall, surrounded by his higher disciples and speaking in low tones.

Sphinx moved as close as he could without interrupting the gathering, obeying his training. Apprentices were not technically even supposed to be _in_ the Worship Hall while the High Priest was giving his disciples instructions, but so long as he stayed back and did not eavesdrop he knew he wouldn't be punished.

Waiting as patiently as he was able, Sphinx caught his Master's gaze and held it firmly, the common sign for _I need to speak with you_.

Imhotep nodded almost imperceptibly, and the demi-god bowed his way out of the room, returning to a normal stride only once out of the disciples vision. He headed immediately for Tut's room, glancing over his shoulder the entire way.

Knocking once on the frame outside the room and pulling the reed curtain back, Sphinx stepped in, not wanting to be caught in the hall, "Morning, Tut."

"M-m-morning, Sphinx!" the mummy squeaked, trying to pretend that he hadn't been rereading Nefertiti's letter. Again.

Sphinx couldn't help cracking a tiny grin, just barely a twitch of his lips. Though he'd expected to be annoyed by any mention of other women today, Tut's behaviour was far too sweet and naive to piss him off.

"H-hey, uh, Sphinx? You okay?"

"What?" the demi-god blinked, shaking his head, "Sorry."

"A-another dream?" Tut made what he could only assume was supposed to be a 'knowing' face.

"Yeah." Sphinx rubbed a hand over his eyes, frowning, "I don't think they're dreams, though."

"O-oh?"

Knowing the prince wouldn't tell anyone, Sphinx told him everything; being vague with the more intimate details, and ending with the girl crying as he disappeared.

"H-have you told I-Imhotep?"

"Not yet. I haven't had the chance to speak with him."

"G-gotcha. So, uh, d-did you _want_ to help me train today? O-or should we hold off...?"

"Training before we leave is a must, especially if we end up leaving tomorrow. It'll take my mind off things, too."

Tut only nodded, babbling about things he thought would help as they headed for the training hall.

A brief memory of a past vision flashed past his eyes as they entered, strange music filtering through the air before disappearing. Once more shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Sphinx scowled and headed for the training swords, handing one to the mummy and taking the other in hand.

He would never use the Blade of Osiris against anyone but an enemy; he had sworn that to himself the day he'd acquired the deadly blade. So while the training sword felt clunky and sluggish, it would be for training with his friend.

Tut was getting better the more they practised; he would still be outmatched by a well trained fighter, but the prince turned mummy could at least defend himself now. _Without_ setting himself on fire.

The two friends spent at least a few hours going at each other and practicing stances, Sphinx wanting to be sure that Tut would be alright once they left the relative safety of Heliopolis. Sakkara was supposed to be a wilder region, one ruled over by the cat goddess; wild, flirtatious, and downright temperamental, Bast was a regular party animal and a finicky goddess.

Her help likely wouldn't come cheap.

They parted ways with Tut feeling accomplished and Sphinx panting and covered in sweat. He'd poured everything he had into the training in an attempt to wipe that morning's heat and emotions from himself and was exhausted because of it.

Looking at the position of the sun through a nearby window, Sphinx knew that Imhotep would still be busy and grimaced. Then, after enquiring about Horus' whereabouts and learning he had gone to Abydos for Imhotep, Sphinx headed for the private baths.

There were two bath halls in the temple; the larger, common hall used by everyone in the Shrine that he usually visited, and a smaller, private hall meant for only the higher apprentices.

Sphinx and Horus were the only two who had access to those baths now, and the demi-god intended to take advantage of this fact for a good couple of hours. He needed a soak without the annoying presence of newer apprentices or disciples.

A mere few feet from the bath's door he froze mid-step, hackles rising. He spun, glaring into the shadows, "I know you're there; come out, Ayh."

"Perceptive as always." The apprentice simpered as she stepped into the light, golden eyes flashing, "Might I join you, Master Sphinx?"

"The private bath is only for High Apprentices."

"But you're allowed to invite people in with you, are you not?"

"I have no interest in inviting anyone." Patience wearing thin, Sphinx turned and strode for the door again, "Good bye, Ayh."

"Please, Master Sphinx? Why not?"

He could hear her following after him, and pulled the door open quickly without even looking back, "I said no."

"I could wash your back! Please-"

The demi-god's only response was slamming the door in her face and locking it, grumbling under his breath. _Thank Ra for locking doors._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

"Oh, you should have _seen_ it, Isis! This temple was _huge_! Buried, beneath the sands, for thousands of years! _In tact_!"

"Mhm."

"And this _statue_ we found! All worked in gold! It almost looked like it was about to come _alive_!"

"Cool."

"And it's all dedicated to Isis, as though it were a secret temple of hers or something. It was _amazing_, you really should have come with us-"

"Howard, dear," Meredith cut in softly, a hand on her husband's arm as she set a big mug of hot chocolate next to her daughter's laptop, "I _think_ Isis is trying to study right now."

"Oh? Oh, shoot! Sorry, Isis, I'm just so _excited_!"

"I know, Dad." Isis mumbled, shooting her mom a grateful little smile. Meredith merely shrugged and rolled her eyes, brilliant emerald matching her daughters.

Isis had done her best to clean herself up before leaving the sanctuary of her room, though she knew they had heard her crying. Why else would her mother have made her a huge French toast breakfast and a giant mug of hot chocolate when she hated cooking just after getting home from a trip?

Her emotions were still a complete and utter mess, and she was having a hard time focussing on her notes _without_ her father jabbering in her ear. Midterms were something her mother understood, at least; Meredith was doing a much better job at restraining herself then Howard was.

Trying to hide in her room was out of the question, she knew; her parents always insisted on spending time with her their first day back from any extended trip, even if she had midterms.

So here she was, wearing the baggiest, comfiest sweater she owned and a clean pair of yoga pants, hair tied in a messy tail at the nape of her neck and one hand curled around her mug of hot chocolate when all she wanted was to go back to sleep, curl up in Sphinx's arms, and never wake up.

_There's something wrong with me._ She sighed, rubbing her forehead and frowning at the twinge of an oncoming headache, _This should be freaking me out so much more then it is. There's no way these are just dreams..._

**BeeBOOP! BeeBOOP!**

Startled, Isis sat back and blinked at the Skype call flashing on her screen, barely registering it for a moment. Then she sighed, glancing at her parents.

"Aunt Evie's calling on Skype, Mom."

"I thought she would be soon." Meredith stirred her coffee once more and crossed back to the table, hovering over her daughter's chair, "Go ahead, Isis."

Sighing again, the platinum blonde hit the 'answer' button, glad that it was a voice-call only, "Hi, Aunt Evie."

"Hello, Isis dear," came Evelyn's smooth voice, sounding rather amused, "Hello, Meredith, Howard; I'm assuming you're both there, since Isis picked up for once."

"Hullo, Evelyn." Meredith laughed.

"Hey, Evie. Did you get all the artifacts and field notes?" Howard demanded immediately, leaning eagerly towards the laptop.

"Yes, Howard, everything is in order. I'll need you both here tomorrow as we sort though everything, of course, but today is yours. I do, however, need to speak to Isis."

"Gotcha." Her parents moving away, Isis slumped back in her seat, knowing what was coming.

"Have you had the chance to look over the dance yet, Isis?"

"Only briefly, Aunt Evie," now she rubbed her hands over her eyes, exhausted, "I'm sorry; I'm swamped with midterms and-"

Isis cut herself off before she could say 'dreams', knowing how crazy that would sound. Evelyn paused on the other side of the speaker.

"You sound tired, dear. May I ask what this 'and' is?" Evie enquired quietly, making her sigh.

"Just dreams, Aunt Evie."

"What kind of dreams?"

"Nothing major; just really... _realistic_ dreams."

"_I __**am**__ real. Are you?"_

Whole body flushing suddenly, Isis shook her head vigorously, ignoring the curious looks from her parents near the sink.

"Well, Isis, dreams sometimes _mean_ something." Evelyn sounded suddenly serious, "Perhaps you should come and tell me about them? We could have a chat over tea and maybe go over the dance as well, hmm?"

"...sure." It couldn't hurt, right? And Evie was more likely to believe her than anyone else...

"Speaking of the dance; HOWARD?" Evelyn raised her voice just enough to make Howard jump from across the room.

"Yes, Evelyn?"

"Have you given her, her present yet?"

"Oh! No! One second!" her father dashed off only to return with a medium sized wooden box, setting it gently beside her laptop, "Here, sweetheart, we saw these and couldn't resist saving them for you. But shh! Don't tell anyone! They're _technically_ artifacts!"

"Geez, guys, seriously?" Isis sighed but quirked a smile, reaching for the box and lifting the lid. Blinking, she reached in, carefully lifting the two artifacts from the box.

They were beautiful; both wrought in gold with various decorations and inscriptions in blue and red. Amulets of some sort, she knew, thought they were certainly bigger than any she had seen before.

One had an inscription that she couldn't translate, so she set it gently back in its box. The other simply said _Isis_ in its flowing Egyptian script, and she ran a hand over it, admiring the perfect markings.

Then she froze, images flashing rapidly through her mind; a jungle-like vista; a great Temple framed by feline statues; desert sands far below her; someone catching her.

And over it all a suffocating, overwhelming _heat_ that flooded through her and struck right at her core, making her gasp out loud.

"Isis, honey, are you alright? You're flushed!"

"Maybe you should go back to bed, Isis."

"Is she alright?"

"What?" feeling numb, Isis blinked, realizing she had both parents staring at her as though she had fainted, Evie still talking in the background.

"I-I'm fine." She mumbled, quickly placing the amulet back in its box and steadying herself on the table, "I-I think I'm going to go take a bath-OW!"

A sharp pain on her ankle made her jump up, hissing in pain. A black blur darted away and paused in the doorway, golden eyes staring her down even as blood began to seep from the scratch.

"Dammit, cat, what'd I do to you _now_?!" she demanded angrily, grabbing a tissue and pressing it against the flesh.

"Cleo! Bad cat!" Meredith scolded, frowning when the cat merely disappeared, "I swear she's gotten worse over the last couple of years, goodness."

"Perhaps we should look into having her declawed, Meredith?"

"Hear, hear!" Isis mumbled grumpily, hobbling away from the table once she could release her ankle without it gushing, "I _definitely_ want that bath now. Sorry Aunt Evie."

"It's alright, dear. Make sure you bandage that ankle."

"I will." She promised, heading for the stairs and trusting her parents to close down Skype and her laptop whenever they were done talking to Evelyn.

Isis immediately went for her room and shut the door behind her, locking it for good measure. She'd barely taken two steps when she heard scratching and meowing at the door, giving it an incredulous look.

"You attack me and then think I'm going to let you _in_ here, cat? You're crazy." Shaking her head, she ignored the continued noises and headed for the bathroom, closing _that_ door as well so that she couldn't hear the cat.

Ankle barely bleeding now, Isis started the water and waited for the temperature to adjust before popping the stopper in, standing back to let it fill. Pants already discarded along with her panties, Isis reached for the waistband of her sweater and paused as the room suddenly filled with steam, blocking her vision momentarily...

_...only for it to lessen some seconds later, revealing a completely different scene from her bathroom. Blinking to clear her vision somewhat, Isis glanced around, curious._

_It was an Egyptian style bathing chamber, a private one from the looks of it. Steam rose from the central pool, steps leading down from the sides and towels piled nearby. Gaze sweeping over the pool and to the opposite edge she froze, grip tightening on the edge of her sweater and eyes going wide._

"_Sphinx." She whispered, heart pounding._

_He hadn't noticed her just yet, sitting directly across from her with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. His arms were spread along the pools edge, chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm, the water stopping just below his pectorals. _

_His skin was shiny with sweat, muscles coiled in his arms and moving in his chest with every breath he took; Isis's stomach dropped just looking at him._

"_God..." she whimpered, freezing when his ears twitched._

_Sphinx rolled his head once before sitting up somewhat straighter, letting out a breath as he opened his eyes. They locked on Isis almost immediately, widening briefly before going narrow, chocolate depths darkening heatedly while his lips twitched into an alluring smirk._

"_Well now, this is a pleasant surprise." He purred._

_For the first time in the dreams, Isis blushed scarlet, feeling ridiculously shy. "Hi." She managed to squeak in response, hands determinedly pulling her sweater as far down as it would go. The blonde shifted, glancing around and biting her lip; her pants and panties had disappeared, left behind in her own world. Fantastic. She took a step and winced, sucking in a breath as pain flared through her ankle, feeling blood trickling down her skin again._

_Sphinx's nose twitched and he pulled his gaze away from her face to look at her ankle, frowning deeply. "You're hurt."_

"_J-just a scratch." She stuttered, startled when he stood suddenly and began crossing the pool towards her, "Sphinx..?"_

_Thankfully still covered from the waist down by the water, the demi-god stopped right at the water's edge and held out a hand, "Come here."_

"_W-what?"_

"_I said, come here." His lips twitched, "I want to see the cut."_

"_It's just a scratch." She mumbled, but the look he gave her left no room for arguing. Biting her lip again, Isis moved to the edge and sat as quickly as she could without killing herself, doing her best to keep her knees pressed together and her sweater held down over her lap. Somehow, she didn't think accidentally flashing him would help the situation any..._

_Sphinx gently took hold of her ankle and lifted it higher, his touch sending heat flaring through her. It was all she could do not to moan aloud._

"_This is deep." He scowled, studying it, "What scratched you?"_

"_My cat." She gasped, trembling, "She hates me – not sure why – attacks me a lot. This is the worst she's ever done, though."_

"_This might sting a bit."_

"_Wha-?" Isis cut herself off with a hiss when he dunked her foot into the water of the pool, the warmth soothing and stinging at the same time. The pain faded fairly quickly, however, and she was left with a pleasant sort of tingling feeling._

_Sphinx lifted her foot from the water and inspected it once more before nodding, content with the cleanliness of it. Isis was about to speak when he suddenly leaned up and over the edge of the pool, the blonde turning red and averting her eyes as quickly as she could. _

_She heard him chuckle but still kept her eyes averted, feeling him wrapping something around her ankle, "Why so shy all of a sudden?"_

"_I-I don't know." She admitted, only turning back when she was sure he was covered again, seeing that he had wrapped her ankle in a sort of linen bandage, "T-thanks."_

_Sphinx stayed where he was, lifting his hands to rest them on her knees, watching her intently. "Are you feeling better?" he questioned softly, and she knew he wasn't talking about her ankle._

"_Yes. I think so." She tried to smile, finding it easier than before, "I'm still an emotional wreck, honestly. I don't know what's wrong with me. __**Are**__ these dreams? I don't think so."_

"_Visions, I think." He was watching her closely, curiously, "And I think we're both __**real**__."_

"_Yes." She whispered, her own hands leaving the hem of her shirt to rest on his shoulders, head bowed towards him, "You'd better be real."_

"_Agreed..." Sphinx pushed himself up just enough to catch her lips, a gentle, reassuring touch that lit the fires within them both once again. Isis responded happily, her shyness disappearing just as it usually did during these strange sessions._

_Sphinx's hands squeezed her knees gently while her own wandered away from his shoulders and up his neck, tracing along the edges of his headdress._

_Pulling back for air, she whispered against his lips, "Do you ever take this off?"_

"_Rarely."_

"_Can I...?"_

_Silent, Sphinx simply nodded, lifting his hands to guide hers, carefully lifting and pulling the headdress away from his head. Once off, Isis set it beside her, looking her lover over. _

_She'd been completely wrong; he definitely wasn't bald, and his hair definitely wasn't terrible._

_It was silky black, straight and shiny as most Egyptian hair had been. Not quite a buzz cut, but not overly long, either, it barely brushed his eyebrows in the front and might have been long enough for a tiny tail at the nape of his neck._

_Now Sphinx seemed shy, unused to people seeing him without his headdress, "So?"_

"_You have nice hair." She smiled, running a hand through it and giggling when he purred, "Though I do like you in the headdress. Makes you look imposing."_

"_Glad my lady approves." He growled seductively, a hand pulling on the edge of her sweater, "Now it's your turn."_

"_Oh really?" she faked innocence, batting her eyelashes, "And why is that?"_

"_Because I'm pulling you into the water regardless, and I doubt you want your garment soaked."_

"_Pushy." She mumbled dryly, smacking his hands away and reaching for the sweaters edge herself, "You win."_

_A little trill of excitement shot up her spine as the situation fully dawned on her, making her pause briefly. No one had seen her naked in years, especially not a guy. Definitely not a guy she was heatedly attracted to. _

'_Too late now.' She took a deep breath, swallowed her fear, and then pulled her sweater off in a quick motion, tossing it aside and releasing her hair from its tie in quick succession._

_Then, before she could lose her nerve, she slid off the edge of the pool and down into the water, using Sphinx's surprise to go under and swim away to the other edge. _

_Surfacing, she gasped when an arm wrapped around her stomach and pulled her back against a warm, bare chest, shivering violently. The other hand drifted up her back, resting at a place between her shoulder blades._

"_What is this mark?" Sphinx questioned behind her, tracing it._

_Heart pounding, Isis gasped, "Birthmark."_

"_An ankh and two wings... "_

"_That's...what my parents thought, to... God-!" the last word came out as a whine, feeling something __**else**__ pressing against her from behind, "Sphinx..."_

"_I don't know... what these visions are." He rasped in her ear, grip on her tightening, "I don't know why we're connected like this. But I can't deny this. I __**want**__ you, desperately, and every time you leave me the heat just gets __**worse**__."_

"_I'm the same." She whimpered, turning in his grasp to wrap her arms around his neck and press herself against him, making them both shudder in delight, "I don't want to wake up alone and on fire again, Sphinx."_

_He leaned down, clearly trying to remain in control but steadily losing his grip. "Be mine." He whispered against her lips._

"_Always." And then she kissed him._

_It was nothing like the other kisses they'd shared, even the ones in more heated moments. This one was filled with longing and hunger, fire and need._

_Sphinx used the waters buoyancy to his advantage, moving backwards until he could sit on the pools steps, pulling Isis down onto his lap. She gasped, feeling his want beneath her, so close to where her own fire was burning. _

_The demi-god sent his hands questing down her sides while his mouth followed along her throat, pausing to kiss his mark before daring to go lower towards the swell of her breasts._

_Isis moaned when his mouth found one nipple and suckled it greedily, a hand coming up to cup and mold its twin._

_It was all she could do to hold on and stay awake, body burning from within. "God, Sphinx-!"_

"_Beautiful." He murmured against her breast before switching, bucking up against her to push her even further over the edge._

_In the middle of her passionate haze, Isis realized something. Something rather silly, honestly, and she would have giggled if her head wasn't spinning so deliciously._

"_You know..." she gasped, "I never told you my name..."_

"_You didn't." He nipped at her breast with his fangs, leaving tiny red marks, "May I have the honor of knowing now, my lady?"_

"_Yessss." She held onto his shoulders tightly, bending to whisper in his ear, "Isis."_

"_Isis?" he was suddenly alert, head snapping away from her breasts so he could stare her in the eye, lust fading quickly, "You're serious?"_

"_Of course." She frowned, startled by his sudden change of attitude, "Why? What's wrong?"_

"_Isis." He whispered, eyes suddenly knowing, "Ra Almighty, you're the reincarnation."_

Her lover and the bathing hall were gone instantaneously, leaving Isis to cry out and fall backwards, having been sitting on the edge of her own bathroom's tub.

Whacking her head off the tile floor she cried out, hissing and rolling to her side, curling up into a ball and, yet again, beginning to cry.

She didn't notice that the tap was still running and the water was beginning to come over the edge. She didn't notice the linen bandage still wrapped around her ankle, or the fact that her sweater was gone.

Even when her parents came running and used their skeleton key to get into the room and help her, she barely registered it.

All she knew was that she was alone, confused, and cold. The shock in Sphinx's eyes stayed with her, and she didn't know why.

Most of all, her birthmark had begun to burn.


	8. Chapter 8: Warnings and Worries

**Authors Note: **Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed that super long last chapter :D It'll probably happen on and off in this fic, but no promises haha. Anywhoo! Hope you all liked the steamy stuff and sudden realization in the last one; it was a ton of fun to write haha.

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Warnings and Worries**

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

Isis had a minor concussion.

The emergency doctor said she was lucky that was all she had, considering she'd fallen directly backwards onto hard tile.

Her parents had rushed her to the hospital as soon as they'd gotten her up off the ground and into some clean clothes, terrified by how spaced out she was, still sobbing until the car stopped.

She was still given an exemption from her exams, however; the doctor didn't like how dazed she still looked, he said. She needed bed rest, and lots of it.

She wasn't acting dazed because of the injury, though. She couldn't figure out Sphinx's reaction, and it kept playing over and over in her mind. How close they'd come to having sex was also bothering her, though obviously it hadn't been an issue during the dream. Something told her it was a bad idea.

Isis had hoped to talk to the demi-god about it that night, but she woke the next morning with no memory of any dreams, scowling at the ceiling.

_I need to talk to Aunt Evie._ She sighed, rubbing her eyes and forcing herself up, _She knows more about this stuff then most people, maybe she'll have a clue as to what's going on._

Convincing her parents to let her go was the hard part.

"You can even drive me, if that'll make you feel better. Please, guys," Isis all but begged, putting on her best pouty face, "You know Aunt Evie dabbles in dreams and stuff; I'd really like to talk to her."

"I don't know, Isis," Meredith frowned, arms crossed, "The doctor said you should be staying in bed for a while."

"Mom, I'm _fine_. People get concussions everyday; I slipped."

"And what are these dreams you keep talking about, sweetheart?"

Isis had flushed, averting her eyes, "I'd rather not get into details, Dad, no offense. They're kind of... private. But I _know_ they're not normal dreams, and Aunt Evie could probably help me. Please?"

Her parents shared a quick look, Meredith nodding after a moment.

Howard sighed, "Alright, Isis, I'll take you to the ROM. But you need to promise me you won't leave without me, alright?"

"Sure, Dad. Thanks."

So now, here she was, sitting across the desk from her Aunt and again squirming under that inquisitive gaze, a cup of tea untouched before her.

"Are you sure you should be out of bed right now, Isis? Your parents said you had a nasty fall."

"Just a bump on the head, Aunt Evie; I promise I'm fine."

"And you wanted to talk to me about these dreams you mentioned?" at the blonde girls nod, Evelyn's frown deepened, "What are these dreams that they are so important, Isis?"

"I don't think they're _dreams_, per say." She bit her lip, "I think they're visions of some sort."

"Visions?" now the older woman's eyes sharpened, "Visions of what, sweetheart?"

"The past. Egypt. Um... a man." Failing to contain a blush, Isis looked away, "But he's not... _human_. I think he's a demi-god. Which means he can't be real... but he _feels_ real, and acts real. And-" Isis cut herself off with a hiss, hunching over.

"Isis?!" Evelyn moved to jump up but her niece held up a hand, gasping and straightening herself.

"My birthmark has also... begun to _burn _periodically." She wheezed, "Not constant, not to a pattern, just... randomly."

"When did this start?"

"After my last vision."

"And what was different about this vision?" when Isis only looked away, Evie reached across the desk and gripped her hand, staring her down, "Isis. Tell me."

And she did, every little detail at her aunts insistence, turning redder and redder the further she got into it.

"Right before he disappeared, he said 'You're the reincarnation'. And then I fell off the tub." Isis grumbled, avoiding eye contact, "I don't have a clue what he meant."

"What did you say this young man's name was again?"

"Sphinx. Kind of strange, right? Aunt Evie?" Isis blinked when the older woman suddenly stood and strode to the bookcase behind her desk, searching for something, "What are you doing?"

"These are not just visions, Isis. You are travelling between time and space; not technically physically, but enough of your body is 'travelling' to make a difference. You mentioned that your sweater is missing, correct?"

"Well, yes..."

Evelyn pulled out the book she'd been looking for and flipped through it briefly before setting it on the desk in front of her, "Does this look familiar?"

Isis gasped, grabbing the book, "That's Sphinx! But... how?"

It was a photo of an Egyptian painting, one she'd never seen before; two people posed as though battling. The man was obviously Sphinx; the tail gave it away if nothing else. But the girl...

"Aunt Evie..." breathing shaky, the blonde girl swallowed, "Why does the girl here look like... me?"

"I think it might _be _you, Isis." Evelyn took the book back, tucking it into a drawer and reaching for her niece's hands to grip them tightly. "I don't know much about what's going on, Isis, but I believe you are part of an ancient prophecy. I've suspected it ever since your parents named you 'Isis'. Don't worry about that just yet, though."

"Isis, listen closely. No matter how much you want it, no matter how hot your body might get or how dazed you are, you _must not_ consummate your relationship with Sphinx. Do you hear me?"

"What? Aunt Evie!" Isis tried to jerk her hands away, surprised by the older woman's strength, "Why? They're just dreams, visions, whatever! They're not real!"

"They're real enough!" Evelyn insisted, "You have a marking on your throat that I _know_ your lover gave you. You woke up with a bandage around your ankle and your sweater missing. There is a physical level to this, Isis! Can you imagine what would happen if you got _pregnant_?"

"What?!" Isis could only stare at her aunt incredulously, face turning bright red, "T-that couldn't happen-"

"How do you know? Things are real in these dreams, Isis, which means that his seed is just as potent as it would be in 'reality'. Somehow I doubt the thought of protection has crossed either of your minds during these sessions?"

Still blushing, Isis mumbled "I don't think the Egyptians _had _protection, Aunt Evie..."

"My point exactly. Say you have sex, and he gets you pregnant; how will you explain it? Your parents will think you've been raped, the media will have a hay day – not to mention you'd be alone, with a non-human child, and the father would only be present in your dreams."

"Okay, okay, I get it! No sex!" still blushing, Isis stared right back at her aunt, "Help me understand this, though. _Why _are we so crazy for each other? I don't even know him! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Because, child, your souls are crying out for each other."

"Because...?"

Evie squeezed her hands, giving her a sympathetic look, "Because you are soul mates, dear."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

"Sphinx, this is a serious matter; how long have you been having these visions?"

"Almost two weeks, master."

"These are not normal visions, Sphinx; you should have told me immediately."

Sphinx could only wince, "I know, master."

The demi-god was in about the same situation as Isis, though Imhotep was rather more tense and imposing then Evelyn.

There had been little hesitation when he'd jolted out of the vision, though; he'd barely managed to dry himself off and throw on some pants before charging out of the bathing hall, Isis's sweater clutched in his hand.

Thankfully Imhotep had been awaiting him in his private counsel rooms, and so he could divulge the details of his situation in private. He'd told his master everything without so much as a blush; this was to important to worry about being embarrassed.

Now, though, sitting opposite his master and watching Imhotep frown from across the table, Sphinx was uncomfortable as hell. And incredibly worried about the situation he'd found himself in again.

"This... girl you've been meeting in these visions, this 'Isis'. You are sure she is the one we are looking for?"

"It all fits, Imhotep; you said yourself that Ra said the girl knows nothing of her powers or who she is, and that we need Bast's help to find her. Isis mentioned having a cat that hates her; it's probably a servant of Bast keeping an eye on her in her world."

"That does sound plausible." Imhotep stroked his beard thoughtfully, watching his apprentice, "Though, again, I wonder why you did not mention the girl or the visions before?"

"Master, I thought they were just _dreams_. I only found out Isis's name last tonight, and I reacted immediately."

It was mid-morning, Sphinx realized suddenly, noticing the position of the sun and the weariness coursing through him; neither of them had slept. _I hope Isis is alright. And not furious._

He'd left her at a rather inopportune moment, he knew, but he hadn't been able to help it. The shock of realizing who she was had been too much.

"This garment has magic all over it." His master remarked, pulling him from his thoughts. Motioning a hand, the sweater lifted into the air between them, Imhotep pointing to several sparkling points. "You see? Her aura has left imprints in the very fabric of the thing. All of that sexual energy, that raw passion, is likely fueled by the immense latent magic's that her body is housing."

"She looked and seemed completely human, master. She probably can't even _use_ the abilities."

"Likely not. You must have a good, long talk with her, Sphinx. As soon as possible, before we leave. I will postpone the trip until tomorrow morning so that you may have a chance to do this."

"Yes, Master, I will."

"Do remember that this means she will have to be brought here, somehow, in order to restore Tutankhamen to his human shape. Once done, she may not be able to return to her own world."

Sphinx scowled, "I'll remember that."

"One last thing, Sphinx." Imhotep tried to crack a sympathetic smile, failing miserably, "I know how hard this will be, but it must be as I say. No matter how drawn to each other you are, you must _not_ give in to your bodies urges. Kiss, touch, do whatever you must to withstand the heat, but _do not_ have sexual relations with this girl. Do you understand me, Sphinx?"

"Y-yes, Master Imhotep."

"Good. Now go. Try to get in contact with your Isis. I must finish the preparations for our journey. Just remember what I have said, Sphinx."

The demi-god stood and bowed his way out of the counsel room, striding quickly and purposefully for his own chambers. He made it there un-harassed and leaned back against the wall with a rough sigh, running a hand through his hair.

_Shit, I left my headdress in the bathing hall. _The memory of Isis removing it from his head made him shiver, scowling and pushing away the feelings as he headed for the lower levels, wanting to retrieve it before he could forget.

Admittedly, finally knowing her name was a relief. Isis suited her well, and it rolled off his tongue easily.

Returning to his room Sphinx set his headdress on his chest and drew in a deep breath, trying to relax and focus.

Now that he knew they were visions rather than dreams, and that Isis was, in fact, _real_, he wondered if he could _force_ a vision to begin.

Closing his eyes he focussed, concentrating on finding her, picturing her in the room; his or hers, it didn't matter.

He continued in this strain until he felt things shift around him, a different sort of pressure invading the air...

_...as different scents hit his nose, strange birds sounding nearby._

_Opening his eyes, Sphinx blinked to clear them, taking a good look around the room he hadn't had a chance to inspect before._

_It was twice the size of his own, easily, painted in bright colours and with a large, open window in the wall opposite of where he stood. Two doors lead off from two walls, and another set sat beside a large chest of drawers and a hanging mirror._

_Attention turning to the bed pushed into one corner of the room, Sphinx's eyes sharpened, locking onto the girl he'd been focussing so hard on._

"_Isis."_

_She was sitting as though meditating, her legs crossed and her hands resting gently on her knees, eyes closed and breathing slow and calm._

_She tensed at the sound of his voice, emerald eyes snapping open to stare at him. Then she blushed pink and looked away shyly, surprising him._

"_H-hi Sphinx." She licked her lips, glancing at him, "Half thought I wouldn't see you again."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_Well, y-you... weren't around last night, so..."_

"_I haven't slept yet. I had to speak to Master Imhotep immediately after..." he paused, feeling awkward, "...I'm sorry, for the record. For leaving you when I did."_

"_It's okay... didn't expect my name to shock you, admittedly, b-but its okay. I ended up falling off my tub and smacking my head, but I'm okay..."_

"_What?" Sphinx was moving before he realized it, resting a knee on the bed beside her to reach around and feel the back of her head, searching for bumps._

"_S-sphinx..." Isis's words were practically a hiss, and he jumped when he noticed their proximity, his masters words coming to mind._

"_Sorry." He moved his hand away and sat at the end of the bed, already feeling the heat beginning, "Can't stand the thought of you hurt. You're sure you're alright?"_

"_In that way? Yes. In other ways... um. I talked to my Aunt Evie today. She was a well known Egyptian archeologist." She explained, "She said that these are definitely visions, and that you're... you're real. You __**are**__ real, right? I'm not going crazy?"_

"_No, I'm real. We both are. You left your sweater with me, by the way."_

"_Oops." She eyed him, eyes darkening before she turned away, blushing brightly, "And you're still not wearing a shirt... God help me..."_

"_Your 'Aunt' mentioned specifics, didn't she?" Sphinx questioned softly, to which she nodded mutely in reply. "What were they?"_

"_Um... well, we can't... you know..." trying to motion with her hands and failing, Isis sighed, "No sex."_

"_My Master said about the same thing." Controlling himself as best he could, Sphinx reached over to put a hand on her knee, scowling when she flinched, "Isis, look at me."_

_When she did after a seconds pause, he tried to smile, knowing it came out rather weary and forced, "We're going on a journey tomorrow. I don't know how long it'll take, or where it will lead us, but it's to help my best friend, so I'm going. And the goal of that journey is to locate the reincarnation of Isis. To locate __**you**__, and bring you with us."_

"_So we need to talk."_


	9. Chapter 9: Journeys and Jealousy

**Authors Note:** Hey guys :D Here's some more! For the moment, interactions between the two will be much more innocent; won't last long though, I promise :D Tasha and Allison, you can consider this entire fic devoted to you two 3

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**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

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**Chapter Nine: Journeys and Jealousy **

**Sunshrine Island, Heliopolis**

**The Days of the Gods**

_Sphinx lay awake early the next morning, Isis still wrapped in his arms. They were in his bed, or so it seemed to the demi-god at least. He was loathe to move and had no intention of waking her, knowing she would only disappear faster if he did._

_They had talked late into the night, going over the few details they each had about the situation. Isis had mentioned a painting her Aunt had shown her, depicting a girl that could be her twin. She'd also said that, if it was necessary, she would come back to help Tut._

"_Though I don't know __**how**__ to come back." She'd mumbled._

_Imhotep had been right in saying the heat would come whether they wanted it or not; sleeping in each other's arms had, thankfully, diminished its effects on them, though Sphinx suspected it wouldn't be enough for long._

_His arms tightened around her as the first tiny rays of sun began to filter through the small slit that served for his window, knowing he would have to wake up soon. Isis sighed in her sleep and curled closer, mumbling incoherently. _

_She could sleep; she was 'exempt from her exams', she'd said, so she didn't have to stay up crazy late studying anymore. They were both apprentices, of a sort; she was more of a scribe then a fighter it seemed._

'_That'll have to change, though.' Leaning back to press a kiss to her forehead, Sphinx closed his eyes and concentrated._

He waited until he could just barely feel Isis's warmth before opening his eyes and sighing, forcing himself from the bed and running a hand through his messy hair.

Sure that it was somewhat back to its usual straightness, he grabbed his headdress and resituated it on his head, feeling more comfortable once it was on.

Attaching Bas-Ket to his belt and taking the Blade in hand, the demi-god glanced around his room once and nodded to himself. Sure he had everything he pulled back the reed-curtain and froze, biting back a snarl.

"What do you want, Ayh?"

"Oh, many things, Master Sphinx." The girl batted her eyelashes, gold eyes predatory, "Mainly to wish you a safe journey, of course. And to offer you a token of good-fortune."

She held out a small golden amulet, smiling seductively.

Sphinx only brushed past her, patience long since worn thin, "I'm not the type to accept gifts from lower apprentices, Ayh."

"No, Master Sphinx! I was hoping you would accept it as a token from a... potential mate...?"

The demi-god walked faster. "Not interested."

"But _why_, Master Sphinx?!" Ayh tried to block him, a hiss entering her voice as he continued to ignore her, "Why am I not good enough?"

"I already have someone, Ayh, leave me alone."

Isis's face flashed in his mind, and he knew it was true. With or without the ridiculous heat and sexual attraction, there was _something_ there. He just couldn't put a name to it yet.

Thankfully un-harassed the rest of the way to the main chamber, Sphinx immediately headed for the Portal God.

Tut and Horus were already there; Imhotep was likely making last minute preparations.

"Well, well, look who _finally_ woke up." Horus taunted, looking smug, "Mr high-and-mighty himself, delaying our trip a day so he could _sleep_! What's your excuse this time, Sphinx?"

"I had a date with a goddess." He snapped, grinning smugly at the sudden silence from the bird demi-god, "You were saying, Horus?"

"I hope you have all prepared for this." Imhotep arrived before any more arguments could break out, hands clasped in front of him, "The journey to Bast's temple will be simple, but beyond that the real trials will begin. Isis's temple has been lost since the goddess herself was slain, and only Bast can point us in the right direction. Sphinx," Imhotep motioned to him, "Have you spoken with your Isis?"

Trying to hide his smirk, Sphinx nodded, "She knows the details and is willing to return to help Tut, but she doesn't know how to get here. Her world – her _time_ – is one where magic doesn't exist."

Imhotep nodded, stepping forwards to stand before the Portal God, "That is a hurdle we must overcome, then. Now come; we must make haste through the wall and to Bast's temple in Sakkara. Sphinx, I presume you still have the Portal Amulet leading to Anubis' tower?"

"Yes, Master."

Sphinx stepped forwards, pulling the mentioned amulet from Bas-Ket.

The Portal God sprang to life as he stepped into its circle, towering over him, **"Do you have an offering, young one?"**

Sphinx held the amulet before him in answer, his companions entering the circle with him.

"**Very well, chosen one; I shall transport you all to Anubis's Tower. Prepare yourselves!"**

Being sucked through the Portal Gods time-stream was never pleasant, but at least it was a quick trip.

Arriving in the Tower, Sphinx was pleased to see that Anubis had had a set of steps erected leading to his council chambers above, likely in order to accommodate the prince of Luxor and his Master.

Sphinx opted to climb the rope anyways, always pushing himself to stay in shape and alert. He heard Horus snort below him and smirked, knowing the bird would be taking the stairs; climbing had never been his forte.

"Ah, Sphinx, welcome! I have not seen you in ages, o Chosen One!" Anubis greeted him with a smirk as he reached the higher floor, reaching out to clap the younger demi-god on the shoulder, "Thrown into yet another prophecy, I see. Sucks to find your other half when she'd not around, huh?"

"What?" Sphinx's eyebrows creased, frowning at the jackal God, "What do you mean, 'other half'?"

"You don't know?" Anubis looked surprised, but it quickly turned into a sly grin, "Well then, I shall leave you to figure out what it means for yourself. Imhotep! Welcome back, my friend; I have completed the tunnel as I said; you have a mere two night's journey to Bast's temple ahead of you."

"I thank you, old friend; the sooner we can retrieve the reincarnation, the better things will be for our dear Tutankhamen."

"Yes, of course. My dear Prince of Luxor, may your journey be swift and safe, and may you be returned, whole once more, the your people and your lady."

"I-I thank you, Lord Anubis." The mummy tried to sound formal, but it came out as awkward as usual.

"Now then, Gentlemen, let me show you through the wall..."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sphinx grunted as he planted the final stake of the tent in the ground, pulling the ropes and lifting it up, tying it off and stepping back to survey his handy work.

Sakkara was definitely different then the regions he was used to. It was lush and filled with jungle plants, the complete opposite of Heliopolis. They hadn't seen any animals or monsters yet, but Sphinx was sure they were lurking in the bushes around them.

They had stopped to make camp as soon as the sun began its descent, Sphinx erecting his own tent before helping Tut with his. Horus had managed to finish both his own and Imhotep's before the mummies was halfway through, but Sphinx didn't mind; he was taking his time, showing Tut every step, helping the prince learn rather than simply doing everything for him.

Now, though, the sun was gone, and the fire in the middle of their campsite was the only light besides the stars high above.

They shared a simple meal, speaking in low tones of the journey before them, knowing that getting to Bast's temple was the easy part.

Sphinx excused himself early, honestly tired but mostly just wanting to escape Horus's presence and enjoy Isis's company.

If she was around.

Entering his tent he carefully secured each tie that he'd purposely built into it, attaching the bells that would signal any intruders.

Was he paranoid? Perhaps, but with good reason.

Finished, he laid down on his pallet with his head propped on his arm, concentrating. Slowly, the sounds of the fire and the others talking disappeared, the wind ceasing it's howling...

_...only to be replaced by soft, familiar music, a lute carrying the tones of heavier instruments._

_Sphinx opened his eyes to stare at the wall of Isis's bedroom, smirking just a little. He'd done his best to make his tent the exact width and length of her rather large bed, giving himself a perimeter. It seemed he'd been almost spot on._

_The music catching his attention, Sphinx rolled onto his other side and grinned, pushing himself up just a little. _

_Isis was sitting with her legs crossed close to the edge of the bed, the music coming from some sort of mechanical device sitting in her lap. _

_Sphinx leaned over just enough to see around her, frowning at the moving pictures on the thing and the familiar music playing from it, "What are you watching?"_

_Only vaguely surprised by his appearance, Isis waved over her shoulder, "Just a dance I'm supposed to be learning for Aunt Evie. How's your journey?"_

"_We made camp for the night." Incredibly curious now, the demi-god moved into a sitting position and peered over her shoulder, trying to place the music. "Is this an Egyptian dance?"_

"_Yeah. It's supposed to have two people apparently, but I don't know any male dancers who can pull this stuff off. Not in __**this**__ time, at least."_

_Sphinx's eyes narrowed after watching the dance for a moment, jealously flaring and a low growl starting in his throat, "Why are you learning a __**courting**__ dance, Isis?"_

_Isis's head whipped around, eyes wide, "I'm learning a __**what**__?!"_

"_A courting dance. Your aunt didn't tell you?" calming down somewhat, Sphinx lifted an eyebrow, "You didn't notice how __**seductive**__ the dance was?"_

"_Well, __**yeah**__, but I didn't think it was anything like THAT." She stared at him incredulously, unintentionally pouting in a way that made him groan mentally, "I didn't think Egyptians had much of a courting ritual?"_

"_Depends on the status of the family. Normal people, not so much; it's more common with royalty. Or demi-gods."_

"_Why demi-gods?"_

_Sphinx shrugged, "Probably because there's not as many of us, so it makes it more official. That reminds me. Anubis said something that made me think today."_

_Isis looked at him curiously, "Oh?"_

"_He said 'It sucks to find your other half when she's not around'." He peered at her intently, "Imhotep didn't mention it; I wondered if your aunt had said anything that might explain his words?"_

"_Um..." she was blushing and looking away from him suddenly, peaking his interest all the more, "She... kind of touched on that, sort of..."_

"_What did she say?"_

_When Isis didn't reply Sphinx wrapped his arms around her midsection and pulled her back into his lap, making her squeak in surprise and grab her magic box urgently. _

"_Sphinx-! We can't-"_

"_Tell me." He breathed on her neck, making her shudder, "What did she say?"_

"_She said – God, Sphinx, seriously! – that we're-" gasping and clinging desperately to her last shreds of sanity, she blurted out "soul mates!" _

_Somewhat stunned, Sphinx let his arms drop when she scrambled away, putting her magic box safely on her dresser and glancing back at him with a shy blush._

"_Well." He tried to sound shocked and failed, a small grin tilting his lips, "That explains some things, I guess."_

"_You don't sound surprised."_

"_Isis, there had to be __**some**__ reason. No offense, but I've never really been interested in sex. Dream or not, I don't usually try to seduce strangers."_

_Now she couldn't help but giggle, crossing back to the side of the bed, "Same." Biting her lip she sobered a little, emerald eyes staring into chocolate brown, "Sphinx... just... touching... isn't going to work forever, is it?"_

"_No." He admitted, "Which is why we're moving as fast we can to get you here, for real."_

"_I know." She gave him a tiny smile, crawling back onto the bed and turning off the lamp on her nightstand, burrowing down under the covers, "May as well enjoy it while we can."_

_Sphinx merely grinned and followed her example, pulling her against him once he was comfortable. He dared to steal a quick kiss from her before resting his head against the top of hers, settling in for the night._

_They would deal with the details later._


	10. Chapter 10: Friends and Feelings

**Authors Note:** Iiiiiii'm not even sure what to say here anymore lmao. No warnings or anything major happening here; more of a transition again. Isis trying to stay connected to her current life while she can, and the boys reach Bast's temple! Either way, enjoy :D

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

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**Chapter Ten: Friends and Feelings**

_Isis stirred awake slowly, still incredibly tired and drowsy. At first she wasn't sure why she was even awake; there had been no alarms or noise, no sounds to disturb her sleep. _

_Admittedly, the pallet beneath her wasn't the most comfortable; she'd spent the night in Sphinx's tent this time, so that he could be more alert to things going on in the camp site._

_She'd been sleeping quite soundly, though, so that couldn't be the issue. _

_Then she felt a gentle tug on her leg, some mumbled curses, and a sleepy giggle slipped out as she realized what had happened._

"_Tail bein' stubborn again?"_

_Her lover snorted, "It knows what it wants."_

"_Pervert."_

_For two nights his tail had attached itself to her leg, Sphinx admitting that the appendage mostly did what it wanted and reacted to certain thoughts and wants._

_Obviously the heat was affecting it, as well; it would explain its determination to cling to her leg every night. It hadn't been nearly so stubborn about letting go the night before, though._

"_Didn't mean to wake you." He mumbled, bending to steal a quick kiss, "Not usually this stubborn."_

"_S'okay." Isis savoured the kiss, knowing it was the most contact they could have, "Why're you awake so early?"_

"_Master Imhotep wants to get an early start this morning; we're nearly at Bast's temple, and he wants to make sure we're there before night fall."_

"_M'kay." Isis reached down to stroke the stubborn tail lightly, lips twitching when it released almost immediately, "Better?"_

"_Remind me to just ask you next time." Sphinx remained where he was for a moment, looking like he was going to kiss her again, before shaking his head and standing, "Go back to sleep, Isis. I'll see you tonight, once we're at the temple."_

"_Kay..." Isis closed her eyes and rolled over, feeling herself shifting between worlds even as she sighed, "Night..."_

"_Good night, Isis."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

"Do we have everything? All the documents, field notes, artifacts, drawings-"

"I think so; just need to check the study one last time. Have you seen Cleo?"

**Mel:** Isis! You alive over there? I haven't heard from you all week! What happened?

**Isis:** Long story; are you free today? I need to get away from the parentals, ASAP

"Not since she scratched Isis, no; we still need to make an appointment to have her declawed, Meredith."

"_After_ the opening ceremony for the exhibit, Howard. We only have two weeks; we need to get things done _now_. Do you have your cell phone?"

"Yes, it's in the car already – Evelyn will have our _heads _if we're late again. Where's Isis?"

"In the kitchen on her phone, I think."

**Mel:** Sure, I'm free; midterms are over, thank God. Where am I stealing you?

**Isis:** The ROM; I have to talk to Aunt Evie briefly. Meet there in an hour?

"Isis, sweetheart, we're leaving! Come on!"

"Coming!" Isis clicked her phone off after getting an affirmative from Melanie, tucking it into her purse and heading for the front foyer. She slipped on her runners and gazed out the front door at the overstuffed car, sighing.

She had slept for another three hours before being awoken by her parents with a reminder that she'd wanted to go with them to the ROM that morning. She didn't mind being pulled from her dreamless sleep, honestly; it was strangely lonely when she wasn't wrapped in Sphinx's arms.

Admittedly, her growing dependency and connection to the demi-god scared her somewhat, but she couldn't really help it. Things were different in the visions; she couldn't speak for Sphinx, but she was _far_ more open and flirtatious in the dreams then she was in reality.

She'd never even had a _boyfriend_, for God's sake, let alone had sex. Sphinx had taken her first kiss, and he'd _almost _taken her virginity.

_Which is something we need to avoid, for now. God, I agreed to go back... what is wrong with me? And if I do get back there, then what? _

"_Be mine."_ Sphinx's voice breathed in her ear, making her shudder and turn red at the memory.

_Sex was __**never**__ something I cared about, but we're all over each other in the dreams. God, I'm screwed, literally. _

"Isis, honey, are you alright? We're leaving!"

"Is your head bothering you Isis?"

"I'm fine!" the blonde snapped out of her thoughts, hurrying to the car and managing to fit herself into the back seat with all of the artifacts and stacks of papers, "I told you guys, my head is fine. I'm just thinking about those dreams again."

"You never did say what those were about, Isis." Meredith glanced at her daughter in the rear-view mirror, a somewhat knowing smile on her lips, "Though Evelyn said they were rather complicated, so I suppose I can't blame you."

"Thanks, Mom. I'd... rather not talk about it."

"Alright, dear. Did Melanie say whether she was coming to the Opening Ceremony yet, by the way? She always loved those dances."

"Um, I forgot to ask, honestly. Hey..." taking a deep breath, she pushed onwards, "I'm... actually going to sneak off with Mel for a while tonight, if that's okay? Her midterms are done, and I haven't gotten to hang out with her in ages."

"I supposed it's alright, as long as you're sure your head is fine-"

"Dad, I swear my head is in tip top condition. Can I please spend some time with my best friend?"

_So that I can tell her what's been going on and try to convince her I'm not insane._

"Alright, Isis. Do you need us to drop you off somewhere?"

"No, she's going to meet me at the ROM. I want to talk to Aunt Evie again."

"Well, we'd better get a move on then."

Isis was silent for the rest of the ride, listening to her parents talking excitedly about the upcoming exhibit and all the new artifacts they'd discovered on their trip.

"I hope that huge statue will fit." Howard voiced at one point, gaining his daughters attention, "I thought they would make it the central point, but it's apparently being put back in the bigger room."

"Nothing's for sure yet, Howard; just talk to Evelyn about it. I'm sure she could convince the Directors to move it if you're so set on it."

"You're right. I'm just so excited for this exhibit!"

Isis tuned them out again after that, staring out the window as they drove through downtown Toronto, anchoring herself in the here and now while she could.

_I might not be able to come back if I go to help Sphinx._

Her heart stopped at the thought, and she swallowed thickly, eyebrows creasing. No matter how certain she was about things in the visions, all the doubts, all the worries, came rushing back as soon as she was awake.

And as attracted to and comfortable as she was with Sphinx, she was somewhat scared of him, too. He made her feel things she'd never felt before, brought out a different side she hadn't known existed. And that scared her to death.

Isis was still brooding when they reached the ROM, staying quiet as they parked and headed inside. Her parents needed to enlist help to get everything into the building; Isis just wanted to find her Aunt and demand some answers.

Again she avoided Derek as they entered through the Staff door, speed walking ahead of her parents and making a beeline for the archeologist's office.

Isis was barely five feet away when the door opened and Evelyn stepped out, looking only vaguely surprised to see her god daughter and smiling in greeting, raising a hand.

"Good morning, Isis. I knew you were coming with your parents today, but I didn't expect you so early."

"I'm going out with Melanie in a while, so I wanted to talk to you while I could."

"I see. You have more questions for me?"

"You better believe it."

Evelyn merely quirked a grin, offering her arm to the younger woman, "Stroll the exhibit with your Aunt, then, and I shall answer the questions that I can."

Taking the offered arm, Isis followed Evelyn's quiet instructions and headed for the Egypt wing, closed to visitors but open to Staff.

"Aunt Evie, did you know that dance you sent me is a _courting_ dance?"

"Of course I did, dear. Many of the artifacts in the exhibition are dedicated to Isis; goddess of motherhood, fertility, and marriage, among other things. A courting dance made the most sense."

"And you couldn't _tell me_ it was a courting dance?"

"Now, Isis, where would the fun be in that? Besides, you're a smart girl; I knew you would figure it out. Or." Evie smirked, a wicked gleam in her eye, "Did you have help with that?"

"Sphinx had a fit of jealously and demanded to know why I was learning it." Isis deadpanned, un-amused when her aunt chortled in laughter, "Seriously, Aunt Evie, this isn't funny."

"But why, dear? His jealousy simply shows how much he cares for you! Why is that a bad thing?"

"Because I'm _terrified_!" she snapped, frustrated, "I'm supposed to go back in time to help an ancient Egyptian Prince. I'm supposedly the reincarnation of a goddess, I'm soul mates with a demi-god that I'm ridiculously attracted to and whose bones I constantly want to jump, and I _know _you know more then you're telling me and I hate it!"

Evelyn watched her calmly, waiting until she had finished to pat her gently on the arm and smile sympathetically, "I know it's frustrating, Isis. I know you're scared and worried. But I am telling you everything that I am allowed to tell you."

"You know how prophecies work." Evie urged her god daughter forwards, further into the new exhibition, "Those who know it can never give away _all_ of the details. You'll need to discover them for yourself."

"I can tell you one thing for sure. No matter how strange it may seem, Sphinx _is_ your destiny. I know how terrifying that is, but he will never do anything to hurt you. On the contrary, from what you've said, he would do anything to protect you. And a soul mate, child, is worth the sacrifice of anything."

"I know, Aunt Evie. I'm just _scared_. What if I can't come _back_?"

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem, dear. Ah, here we are, this is what I wanted to show you."

Isis blinked up at the statue towering above them, eyebrows raised. "Wow. Dad was talking about this in the car, I think."

It looked, oddly enough, like the Sphinx statue in Egypt; seemingly made entirely of gold with lapis lazuli accents and a strange gleam to its eyes. A small golden circle had been placed on the floor before it, looking as though it matched with the statue.

"What _is_ it? I've never heard of Sphinx replica's before?"

"It is a Portal God." Evelyn answered calmly, motioning to inscriptions inlaid along the massive paws of the statue, "Legend has it that the Gods themselves used these statues to travel between worlds; your Sphinx may even know of them, if he is the warrior I've read about."

"And you wanted to show me this, because...?"

"For future reference, dear. Do you still have the presents your parents gave you?"

"The golden amulets? Yeah, they're in a box in my room." Isis frowned, "Why? Are they important?"

"Just make sure you bring them with you the next time you're here, Isis. Both of them."

"**MARCO**!"

The nearby shout made Isis jump, the familiar word managing to bring a smile to her lips even as Evelyn chuckled.

"POLO!" she shouted back, waving when her brunette friend came into sight at the entrance to the exhibit, "Well, you're not answering any other questions anyways; mind if I escape with my friend?"

"Your parents know?"

"Yup."

"Very well then. Hullo, Melanie; look after her for me, will you dear?"

"Sure, Ms. Masters!" Melanie grinned brightly, shooting Isis an _you owe me _look before back pedaling, "Let's go, lady! I need some caffeine!"

"Coming! Bye, Aunt Evie! Just let my parents know I left, okay?"

"Will do, Isis; enjoy yourselves, girls."

"Thanks, bye!"

Isis jogged after her friend, giving her a relieved grin, "I appreciate the save today, you know. I need _out_ before they drive me mental."

"No probs. You owe me some explaining anyways, chicky. Hi Derek!" Melanie waved flirtatiously at the security guard, Isis doing her best to hide behind her and failing miserably.

"Hey girls! If you're free tonight, me and some of the guys'll be at Sugar Daddies. You should come!"

"We'll be there!" Melanie promised, earning a groan and a glare from the blonde.

"Why did you say that?!" she demanded as they exited onto the sidewalk, headed for the closest Starbucks, "Now he'll be expecting us there!"

"Isis, when was the last time you went dancing? _Out_, I mean, with _people_?"

"Not since we went in the summer..."

"Exactly. So this'll be good for you! Nothing says we have to stay out late! And I thought you'd be _thrilled_! You've been crushing on Derek for years!"

"Um, about that..."

Melanie stopped dead in her tracks, staring, "Whoa, wait, what? You don't have a crush on him anymore?! What happened?!"

"I kind of, um... met... someone..." Isis winced at how weak her voice sounded, avoiding eye contact, "Part of what I wanted to talk to you about..."

"I'll say! Let's go! I wanna hear _all_ about this!"

Ten minutes later found the girls seated at the most private table in the Starbucks with a steaming cup in each of their hands, Melanie staring pointedly at her friend while Isis examined the table thoroughly.

Finally, she sighed. "You remember... that day in class, when I fell asleep? And you asked when I had let my hair down?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't. _He_ removed it. While I was dreaming." Biting her lip, she chanced looking up, "I'm having visions, Mel. Of another time, another place... of a guy that I'm crazy attracted to. And they're _real_, somehow."

"Kay... are you _sure_ you only had a minor concussion, Isis?"

"Yes! I'm not crazy, Melanie. Look, you remember how I was wearing a band-aid for a week, saying Cleo had scratched me?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"It wasn't Cleo." Yanking down the neckline of her sweater, Isis leaned further in, showcasing the scar she'd been left with, "It was Sphinx – that's his name – as a means of marking me."

"A love bite!" Melanie gasped in a high pitched squeal, eyes lighting up brilliantly, "Tell me everything, woman! And I mean _now_!"

So again, Isis was forced to go over the details – admittedly leaving out _some_ things – and sitting back once she was finished, waiting to be called crazy.

Melanie was silent for several moments. When she did finally speak, she sounded both thoughtful and confused.

"Okay, so... I'm not gonna lie, this is kind of far-fetched, Isis. I mean, magic and stuff doesn't really exist, right? But I know _you_, and I know you wouldn't lie to me or make up stories. So!" Melanie slammed her hands down on the table and stood suddenly, grinning wickedly, "Let's go!"

"What? Where?"

"To get ready, of course. We're going dancing tonight, remember?"

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

"You said it yourself, you're trying to stay connected to this world for now. What better way to distract yourself from thoughts of your lover then by doing dancing? I'll meet you at the Club at eight tonight, alright? You better not be late!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_How did I end up agreeing to this?_ Isis grumbled, pulling her coat tighter around her as she glanced around, waiting for Melanie.

Sure, the dancing part would likely be fun, but the thought of running into Derek or anyone else she knew, well... not so much.

She hadn't even dressed as 'clubbish' as she normally would've; black jeans, low heals, and a nice top were as far as she'd gone, even her makeup more subdued then it normally would be for going out dancing.

_Don't want to attract any creeps..._

"Isis, hey!"

Melanie came running up suddenly, out of breath but grinning widely, "Come on, silly! We're on the Guest list, let's go!"

"What?" Isis let herself be pulled along, blinking owlishly, "How are we on the guest list?"

"I guess Derek put us on! Nice guy, huh? Now come _on_!"

Heart dropping, the blonde barely noticed anything as they were admitted and dropped their coats off at the check, the loud music immediately overpowering her senses.

While she normally wouldn't have cared where on the dance floor they were, tonight she just wanted a secluded corner where she could hide away. Melanie could read her mood and didn't argue, flirting as she went.

The two girls talked while they danced, Isis actually enjoying the loud music and night out from home.

And then the moment was shattered when hands grasped her hips from behind, making her gasp and jump away in surprise.

Derek was laughing, wearing a fake look of hurt, "C'mon, Isis, it's just me! Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay..." Melanie had disappeared, she noticed suddenly, heart thumping, "Where did?"

"One of my buddies swiped her. I wanted you all to myself."

He tried to grab her again and she sidestepped, swallowing thickly, "Sorry, Derek, I'm not feeling great, not really up for dancing..."

"Aw, c'mon, Isis, live a little! I thought you'd be jumping into my arms."

"Excuse me?"

"I know you've had a crush on me forever." He was stalking her suddenly, and she backed away, blocked by the mass of people behind her, "Thought I'd finally reciprocate."

"Sorry, Derek, the crush is gone. I've got someone now."

"Oh, do you? A dream man, right?"

Emerald eyes snapped to him, startled, "How do you-?"

"Your little friend's pretty concerned, thought maybe I could do something about it."

"Not interested." Isis turned to push away through the crowds and hissed when he grabbed her wrist, yanking her back painfully, "Derek, let go!"

"I don't think so."

Her wrist burned, tears threatening even as she gritted her teeth, "That hurts..."

"_I can't stand the thought of you hurt."_

"_I know how terrifying that is, but he will never do anything to hurt you. On the contrary, from what you've said, he would do anything to protect you."_

"Derek, let. Go." Isis hissed, fury rising suddenly. This boy knew nothing.

"Or what?"

**WHAM.**

People scrambled as Derek fell backwards, clutching his nose with a wail of pain. Isis stood over him, fist still clenched from hitting him, eyes flashing in the dim lights of the club.

"_Never_ come near me again." she hissed before whirling around and stalking off through the crowds, people parting to let her through. She caught eyes with Melanie once and let all of the betrayal show before grabbing her coat and storming out into the night.

She stayed strong until she got home, knees going weak the second the door was locked behind her.

Not knowing or caring if her parents were home Isis headed immediately for her bedroom, locking the door behind her and collapsing on the bed, sobbing.

It hurt. Her best friend not only thought she was crazy, she'd betrayed her. Derek was no better; so much for the nice guy facade he'd been wearing the past three years.

_Liars, all of them. I can't do this anymore, I don't want to __**be**__ here!_

Still sobbing, she _reached_, feeling for Sphinx, trying to connect.

A brief vision flashed before her eyes; her lover and his companions approaching a huge temple, surrounded by feline statues and lush wilderness, Lynx-like guards coming out to meet them.

As the images faded, she knew she had seen that temple before; it had flashed before her mind's eye when she'd picked up the _Isis_ amulet from her parents.

_They've made it to Bast._ She thought, hiccupping, _They're getting closer._

_Hurry, Sphinx. Please._


	11. Chapter 11: The Cat Goddess's Whims

**Authors Note:** And we're slowly getting closer to the main events, hurrah! I hope you all enjoyed the somewhat closer look at Isis last chapter – I feel bad throwing her into such situations, but it'll serve a purpose I promise! A tiny bit of 'action' to this chapter, but nothing major. There _is_ important plot development in this chapter, however. Enjoy!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The Cat Goddess's Whims **

**The Temple of Bast, Sakkara**

**The Days of the Gods**

_Hurry, Sphinx. Please._

The voice brushed over him like a soft wind, Sphinx freezing halfway up the temple stairs and whirling around, eyes searching.

"Isis?" he breathed quietly, confused. Had he been imagining things? He'd sworn he had heard her voice, clear as day, a tremble to it that he didn't like.

Scowling, he hurried up the last of the stairs, joining the rest of his party at the temples entrance.

The final leg of their journey had been just as easy as the rest, though they had finally encountered several monsters as they cleared the last of the jungle in their way.

Sphinx had been quick to dispatch them, eager to get to Bast and continue onwards towards the Lost Temple. He hadn't admitted it to Isis, but his tail had been more stubborn that morning because the heat was getting worse. Sleeping beside her was beginning to lose its effectiveness, and the sooner they brought her back the better.

Imagined or not, the whispered words only fueled his impatience, and he couldn't help scowling at the guards that blocked their way.

"Which one of you is Sphinx, Chosen One of the Prophecy?" one of the Lynx-like guards questioned, voice raspy and feline.

Sphinx stepped forwards, hand flexing and ready should he need to summon his blade, "I am Sphinx. My companions and I request an audience with the Goddess, Bast."

"We are aware. Our Mistress has been awaiting you." The second guard motioned with his spear, then nodded towards the opening doors, "Our Lady Bast will meet you in the Audience Chamber."

"I suspected as much." Imhotep spoke thoughtfully as they entered the temple, nodding to himself as he looked around, "Bast may be a Goddess in an Outer Region, but she has likely been visited by Ra as well."

"So long as she doesn't try to eat me, I don't care what she does."

"You must guard that tongue of yours, Horus, lest Bast rip it out. Cat or not, she is a goddess, and deserves your respect."

Sphinx couldn't help but smirk at the lecture, tail flicking behind him. Despite his own traits being those of a lion, he didn't know much about Bast. She had always been on the other side of the Great Wall, a Goddess who stayed out of the war and out of the way, mostly.

"S-Sphinx, d-d'you think Bast'll help us?" Tut looked positively terrified, and Sphinx tried to smile for his friends benefit.

"I think so. Bast is the Goddess of passion and parties; so long as we please whatever whims she may have, she'll help us."

_Let's just hope her whims are easy ones to fulfill._

The group entered into a huge Audience Chamber, lit on all sides by torches and decorated with golden statues of every feline imaginable.

Several more Lynx servants and guards stood off to the sides of the Chamber, positioned near other hallways and doors.

Bast herself sat perched on her throne atop a raised dais, sprawled like a cat and wearing nothing more than a golden collar, several bracelets, and a shear skirt.

A true Goddess, she resembled her animal of choice much more strongly than Sphinx as a demi-god; her face was pointed and whiskered like a cat, long black hair falling straight and smooth around two big, pointed ears.

And as was the fashion with Anubis, everything she did was a test.

"Welcome, travelers, to my humble temple!" she purred, lifting herself elegantly from the throne and stepping down from the dais, hips rotating seductively as she moved, "It has been _so_ long since I had visitors!"

The four performed the ceremonial bow, and it was clear that only one of them had failed this first test. Imhotep met the Goddess eye to eye; Tut looked anywhere but the Goddess, blushing under his wrappings; Sphinx stared easily back at the throne, just over her shoulder.

Horus's eyes were glued to her chest, mouth gaping open as though to catch a worm.

Bast smiled sweetly, an almost disturbing expression on her cats muzzle, "Guards, kindly escort our dear friend Horus to his chambers, neh? He has failed this first test _far_ too easily; poor boy must be quite repressed. Perhaps I shall send a girl to you later, hmm?"

Horus only snapped out of his stupor when he was forcibly led from the chamber, protesting the whole way.

The remaining three companions kept their eyes well averted.

"Now then, back to business." The Goddess purred, though she remained bare breasted, playing with a lock of hair, "Imhotep, dear friend, it has been ages. The last I saw you, you had only just begun taking on apprentices. It is truly a treat to see you alive and well."

"The pleasure is mine, dear Lady. I am sure you already know of our predicament, and the reason for our visit?"

"Of course, of course. You are here to help our dear Prince Tutankhamen here." Now the smile softened, and she put a hand to the mummy's chin, making him face her, "My dear Prince, I have never seen a mummy blush so! You poor, poor boy. You must make sure to play with your Lady Nefertiti once you are whole again!"

"I-I-I-what?!" Tut gasped, turning, somehow, even brighter. Bast chuckled softly, feline gaze going to Sphinx, whose eyes had yet to stray from the golden throne.

"And, of course, _you_, my dear Sphinx, Chosen One of the prophecy," she purred, slinking closer, "Are here to bring _your_ Isis back, yessssss?"

Now Sphinx's eyes snapped to the Goddess, staying rigidly on her face, "You know about Isis, then?" he questioned, gaze never straying.

"Test number two: passed!" Bast whispered, disappearing with a high laugh only to reappear on her throne, draped with shawls and properly covered, "My dear Sphinx, you _are_ a special one! No demi-god has resisted my charms before, especially not while in such a state! You have not given in to your urges, I hope?"

"I have not." He ground out, losing patience, "Can you help us or not?"

"Oooh, patience, patience." Bast grinned wickedly, "I understand your hurry, Sphinx, but be patient. Rushing will only hinder things further. Yes, I can help you. And yes, I _will_ help you. No payment necessary, other than this: Isis must be brought _here_ before you return to the other side of the Great Wall, so that I may deliver the rest of the prophecy."

"Why are you helping us so easily?" Sphinx questioned, skeptic; the few things he _did_ know about Bast were that she was a trickster and, normally, took convincing to get any help from.

"Because you are worthy, Sphinx. As is your Isis. I have been watching you both; you, only since it was revealed that you truly _were_ the One of Prophecy, but I have had an eye on Isis since she was a child." The Goddess seemed to sober then, but it was a brief expression, "I know the state your bodies are in; I know how much it hurts, and how hard it will soon become to resist the urges. That, and... well, certain things have happened to the poor child in recent days. I should like to see her here, sooner rather than later. Now, you have my terms; are we agreed?"

"Agreed."

Again that cat's grin appeared on her lips, "Very good. The Hidden Temple of Isis – yes, _hidden_, for it is not truly lost! – lies at the outer edge of Sakkara, beyond the wilderness. You have five days to make it there, for the only night your Isis can cross over is the first night of the Season of Isis, while the full moon stares down upon the Temple."

"I will give you more instructions come morning, my dear travelers, but for now I imagine you are rather weary. Comfortable chambers will be provided for all of you."

"We thank you, Lady Bast." Imhotep bowed, Sphinx and Tutankhamen following suit. Several Lynx servants approached to lead them away, heading for the Hall opposite of where they had taken Horus.

"One last thing, my dear, dear Sphinx." The Goddess purred, a note of seriousness to her voice that hadn't been there before. She gave him a sympathetic look, tail swaying thoughtfully behind her, "Your Isis is not in a good state of mind, I am afraid; she has been through a trial today. Comfort her, console her – but remember what you have been told."

_Hurry, Sphinx. Please._

Shuddering from the remembered voice, the demi-god nodded once before following his designated servant, chills creeping up his spine.

_I __**did**__ hear Isis earlier. What could have happened? I thought her world was safe._

Sphinx tried to keep his irritation at bay, but the slow pace of the servant leading him only made it worse. Finally the Sakkarian came to a stop beside a door, bowing and motioning to it with a reverent smile.

"Please don't hesitate to call on me if you are in need of anything, Chosen One. My Lady Bast asked that you have complete privacy unless you require assistance."

"Thanks."

Sphinx had barely registered the servant's words, feeling the familiar haze tugging at him from behind the door. He nodded curtly to the Lynx before opening the door and stepping in, pulling it shut behind him

The demi-god turned as the haze began to creep over his mind, locking the door securely and then steeling himself as it swept over him, vision blurring even as he spun to face the room...

_... "Isis?"_

_There had been no need to question; his eyes locked onto her the second he turned around._

_Isis sat in the middle of the rather plush bed he'd been provided with, one leg tucked under her while the other was bent before her, arms crossed over her knee. His pulse quickened when he noticed she wore only her panties and a silky, long sleeved black top that showcased one pale shoulder, her hair pulled back._

_All dirty thoughts disappeared from his mind when she lifted her face, emerald eyes watery and surrounded by tear stains._

"_What happened?" he was across the room in seconds, kneeling on the bed to get a better look at her, "I heard your voice before; are you hurt? Did something happ-"_

_Sphinx was cut off when Isis wrapped her hands firmly around his neck and pulled him down, kissing him fiercely. _

_Heat flaring again, the demi-god returned the kiss just as fervently before reason kicked in and he pulled away, staring at the panting girl, "Isis, wait, what are you-"_

"_Sphinx." Her voice was a heated whisper, brushing fire over his skin, "Kiss me."_

_Her hands were wandering over his shoulders, down his arms, and he had to fight hard to keep control of himself, "Isis-"_

"_Shut up." She was kissing him again suddenly, desperately, using his surprise to push him back and maneuver herself into his lap, wiggling suggestively. _

_Body responding almost immediately to her touch, Sphinx growled, pulling away from her lips again, "Isis, we __**can't**__, your Aunt said-"_

"_I don't __**care**__!" emerald eyes pierced him, darkened by lust as she leaned forwards again, whispering against his lips, "I can't stand the heat anymore. Don't you want me, Sphinx?"_

"_Isis, __**stop**__!" Sphinx caught her by the wrists and yanked her back, terrified by how quickly his control was slipping. He froze when she gave a pained cry, wincing. "Isis?"_

"_It hurts..." she whimpered, fingers on her right hand curling painfully. Sphinx loosened his grip, frowning deeply at the purple blooming under her skin._

"_Bruises." He murmured, narrowed eyes going to her face, "Who hurt you, Isis?"_

_The tears were back then, and she turned her head away as if ashamed, surprising him, "Someone I thought I could trust."_

"_I'll kill him." Sphinx growled, entirely sincere, "No one hurts __**my**__ Isis."_

_Isis chocked out a sob, breaking down at his words. She slumped against his chest and let it all out, clinging to him even as he wrapped his arms around her._

"_S-she was my best friend!" she hiccupped, hysterical, "I-I thought I c-could trust her. B-but I was wrong. She b-betrayed me!"_

_Sphinx only rocked her, not sure what to say. He'd been betrayed before; he knew how it felt. But it hadn't been someone close to him, so he wasn't sure how to comfort her beyond being there for her._

"_Isis." He spoke finally, still rocking her, "Tell me what happened."_

_So she explained – no longer sobbing, but still hiccupping now and then – everything that had happened since she'd woken up. _

_Sphinx was growling by the end of it. "I'll kill him." He muttered again, determined to do so if he ever happened across the bastard._

_Isis looked suddenly shy, "I punched him."_

_He gave her a squeeze and a quick kiss, "That's my girl."_

_She was blushing now, he realized, and he locked his arms around her waist to keep her on his lap._

"_Sorry." She whispered, hands resting lightly on his arms, "That I... you know. I just... wanted to forget about the pain. Hormones kind of took over."_

_Sphinx said nothing for a moment, running his fingers lightly over the small of her back, claws leaving trails through her shirt and making her shiver._

"_You asked if I wanted you." He spoke finally, voice low and husky. Isis opened her mouth to reply and could only gasp when he bucked up beneath her, erection obvious through his pants._

"_You are the __**only **__woman to __**ever **__make me feel like this." He hovered near her lips, breath mingling as he spoke, "Ra knows how much I'd love to rip your clothes off and have you right here, right now, beneath me, screaming my name." _

"_Sphinx..." she was equally aroused and frightened by his admission, and he shook his head to silence her, squeezing her hips._

"_But I won't. I'll be patient, for once in my life, and stay in control." He bumped his nose against hers affectionately, "Because having you in the dreams isn't worth screwing up what we might have in reality."_

"_Okay..." she breathed, and he kissed her; slowly, carefully, as though he was afraid she would break._

_Sphinx released her long enough to remove his armor, not wanting to injure her in anyway. He stopped Isis when she went to remove her shirt; she was tempting enough as it was and, he pointed out, she was on his side this time, no spare pajamas in sight. _

_He kissed her bruised wrist apologetically before returning to her lips for a few more sweet kisses, satisfying the heat momentarily._

_A thought and the room's torches were extinguished, likely by some magic of the temple. Sphinx didn't care; he manoeuvred himself so that they were laying down, spooning Isis from behind with an arm draped over her stomach._

_She could still feel his arousal through his pants and, while it made her blush fiercely, Isis found she didn't mind it, drifting off rather easily._

_Because Evie had been right. Sphinx would never hurt her._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I trust you all slept well, as you have quite the journey ahead of you." Bast purred the next morning, wearing a silky robe and stroking her whiskers thoughtfully, "Imhotep, dear friend, you are remaining with me, correct?"

"Yes, my Lady. My powers are all but useless beyond the Wall, and it will allow me to return to the Shrine if I am so needed."

"Very well. Now then; there is a rough path leading to the South from this temple. Follow it as far as you are able; no matter what, continue South. That will lead you to your Isis."

"Be warned, however. Do _not _enter the temple, no matter what happens. The Guardians are powerful and, I am afraid, rather violent. They will protect their Lady's Temple with ferocity, and your Isis will need to prove herself before they will follow her."

"Understood, Lady Bast."

Bast smiled that Cheshire cat's smile again, waving a hand in their direction, "You have supplies from my servants, and the best directions on how to proceed. I know how impatient you are, Sphinx, and I really cannot blame you. Best of luck on your journey; I trust I will see you, and your Isis, soon."


	12. Chapter 12: Mother's and Lover's

**Author's Note: **Moving onto the Journey here now, and Isis talks to her mother about what's been happening. And the dreams get a little more... ahem, _heated, _shall we say? WARNING: This chapter has semi-sexy times of a type I haven't written before, so here's hoping it's okay. Oral-sex stuff ahead. Next chapter _may _just be the one where she ends up in Egypt, but don't quote me on that. I'm going where the muses tell me! :D

Anyhow, enjoy!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Mothers and Lovers**

**Toronto, ON, Canada**

**Present Day**

The next two days passed rather uneventfully for Isis.

She stayed home and worked diligently at learning the dance for the ceremony, wishing, the entire time, that she had a partner for the rather intimate dance.

_Sphinx moves pretty fluidly; he'd probably be good at this style of dance._

Once more turning red and shaking the thoughts from her mind, Isis glanced up from her laptop, biting her lip.

Since the night she'd lost control in Bast's Temple, the heat had been getting steadily worse. Sphinx had shared every detail of their Journey into Sakkara with her, telling her about the strange monsters they had encountered and the unfamiliar landscape surrounding them.

"Tut's been getting better at fighting," he'd stated proudly the night before, grinning, "Though he's still pretty clumsy."

His obvious happiness at his friend's progress had made her laugh and hug him, happy because he was happy. The contact had been a mistake, as she'd been wearing a tank top and he'd taken his armor off for the night.

The innocent gesture had quickly turned into something much more heated, his arms squeezing her tightly even as he nuzzled into her throat, breath on her skin sending delightful little tingles rushing through her.

Kissing him was amazing, but they'd parted suddenly and forced themselves apart, both far too gone and quickly losing control.

And, Isis had realized with a pang of guilt, her parents knew nothing.

They'd been worried about her since the incident in the bathroom, and she hadn't said a single thing about her situation. Aunt Evie knew everything, but she clearly hadn't shared that knowledge with her parents; they remained blissfully ignorant, and it made her feel sick with guilt.

Annoying and Egypt obsessed as they were, they were her parents and she loved them. And she owed them an explanation.

Or, well, she would tell her mother, at least; dishing out the dirty details to her dad wasn't something she was willing to live through. Her mom could fill him in afterwards.

Meredith hummed under her breath as she stirred her coffee, resting one hip against the kitchen counter. Isis watched her for a moment, terrified. After how things had gone with Melanie, she was scared to even bring the dreams up with anyone besides Evelyn.

Melanie had been calling the house constantly since that night at the club, Isis ignoring her every attempt. She had no interest in talking to someone who thought she was crazy. Her parents were confused, but respected her wish to not talk to her.

And now, Isis knew she had to tell her mother what was going on, as terrifying of a thought as that was.

Swallowing the thick lump in her throat, Isis licked her lips, "Um, Mom?"

"Yes honey?"

"I uh... need to talk to you."

Meredith's gaze slid to her daughter, an eyebrow lifted, "Is everything okay, Isis?"

"Kind of..."

"Meredith, I need your help here!"

Isis jumped at her father's voice, startled. Meredith watched her for a second longer before setting her coffee down and leaving the kitchen, "Yes, Howard?"

"We need to get Cleo in the carrier so we can take her to the vet! Her appointment's in an hour."

"Alright, I'm coming!" Meredith disappeared, and Isis listened to her parent's attempts at catching the cat, lips twitching.

_Only took her making me bleed like crazy to have her declawed, geez._

Angry hissing and meowing sounded as a cage door closed, Isis assuming they had caught the cat. Then there was a weird _bang_ noise and her parents both shouted, the blonde darting out into the main hall.

"What happened?!" she stared at the carrier, sideways on the ground with the door still closed, "Where's Cleo?"

"I-I-I donno!" her father straightened his glasses, shaking, "I got the cat in, and then BOOM! There was a light in the carrier and I dropped it, and Cleo's gone!"

_A light._ Isis's heart stopped. _Like a portal? I KNEW that cat was trouble! _

"Howard, dear, go sit down and have a coffee." Meredith ushered him from the room, giving her daughter a look, "Isis, I think it's time we had that talk. Where would you prefer?"

"My room?"

Her mother nodded, "Alright, I'll be up in a second."

Isis nodded and headed for the stairs, climbing them slowly. She entered her room and plopped herself down on the bed, legs crossed under her. The blonde bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment, focussing, trying to catch a glimpse of what Sphinx was doing on his side...

_She saw desert beyond the foliage of the Sakkarian Jungle, and a great building far, far in the distance. Sphinx and the others stepped through a tangle of plants and into the sunlight, checking around them for any predators before continuing onwards._

_Almost as though feeling her gaze, Sphinx paused, turning in her direction. His nose twitched and he grinned, winking at her before turning and following after Horus and Tut, leaving her blushing and smiling..._

...as a knock sounded at her door, bringing her back to the present. "Come in!"

Meredith entered with a steaming mug in each hand, smiling at her daughter and using her foot to kick the door closed behind her. She lifted an eyebrow and Isis realized she was still blushing, cursing herself mentally.

"T-thanks, Mom." She managed, reaching for the mug and cradling it in her hands, "Um..."

"I thought we could both use a hot drink for whatever it is you want to talk about." Meredith explained calmly, sitting with one leg crossed under her and the other over the edge of the bed, "Isis, honey, you know we've been worried about you. Your Aunt Evelyn says that everything is alright, but I want to hear it from you. This is about those dreams, isn't it?"

"Yes. It's... kind of a long story. Um." Emerald eyes flicked up to hazel ones, pleading, "Just... _please _don't think I'm crazy, okay? Please? I don't think I could take it if you and Dad-"

"Isis, sweetheart, it'd take a _lot_ to make me think you were crazy. I'm an archeologist, _and_ an Egyptologist. With all the crazy things I've seen during digs, you really think anything you tell me would make me think you were crazy?"

"They're not dreams." Isis blurted, "They're visions. Of... ancient Egypt, but a _different_ ancient Egypt. One where demi-gods and gods and monsters are all real."

Meredith listened intently, nodding, "Go on."

Swallowing thickly, Isis told her mother everything. Literally _everything_, even the small details she'd left out while telling Evelyn and Melanie. This was her mother; she couldn't see a point in hiding things, even the more intimate details.

She was blushing redder then a tomato by the end of it, obviously, but it felt good to let it all out. Her mother merely listened and nodded the entire time, her lips occasionally pursing and her eyebrows moving, but otherwise simply allowing her daughter to vent.

"It scares me." She admitted at the end, still red from her descriptions of the past few nights, "How... _attached_ to him I am. I don't get it, Mom. I know Aunt Evie says we're supposed to be Soul Mates, and I know that's causing the heat, but... I don't know. I'm terrified."

"You're in love." Meredith answered softly.

Isis's head snapped up, emerald wide and cheeks a bright cherry colour, "What?"

Meredith only smiled, taking her daughters hand in her own, "You're in love, sweetheart. The heat wouldn't exist if you weren't. And love is a scary, special thing. This man – this Sphinx – is your destiny, from the sounds of it. And that's terrifying. But it's also amazing. People search forever and never find the one meant for them, Isis."

Isis could only stare, slack jawed, as her mind tried to catch up with what was happening. Then she blinked, licked her lips, and quirked her eyebrows, "You... believe me then? You don't think I'm crazy?"

Meredith smiled that secret smile her daughter had only seen a few rare times, still holding her hand. "Your father and I met in Egypt, you know. During my very first expedition as an archeologist, fresh out of University. We were at the Temple of Isis on the Island of Philae, going through old dig sites and learning the tools of the trade, so to speak."

"Your father was one of the experienced archeologists assigned to the dig, and had arrived earlier then our group of newbie's. We ran into each other in the antechamber of the temple – _literally_, ran into each other. We were both far to engrossed in our studies and suddenly – wham! – we're toppling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and scrolls."

"You might not believe in love at first sight, Isis, but we certainly had _something_ right from the beginning. Much like you and your Sphinx, though somewhat less... heated, shall we say?"

"What happened?" Isis was intrigued, honestly. She'd never been told how her parents had met before.

"Nothing – except that we _continued_ to run into each other throughout the duration of the dig." Meredith's eyes took on a twinkle suddenly, her lips twitching into a smile, "And, ah, did some things _besides_ running into each other, if you catch my drift..."

"MOM!" Isis was shocked, staring at her mother in aghast, "My God, you seriously...?"

"You got your wild streak from _somewhere_, sweetheart." Meredith laughed, patting her daughters hands comfortingly, "So the things going on in your _visions_ don't bother me – I wasn't much older then you, after all. I do, however, hope that you'll be safe once you find your way back to him."

"Sphinx will protect me." Isis stated, knowing it to be true, "I'll be fine. I'm just... scared by how quickly the fire ignites between us. He barely touches me and I'm ready and willing."

"That's how it works when you're in love, sweetheart. I imagine things will be better once you've met him in reality; surely your souls will stop crying out if you're in the same place, hmm?"

"Makes sense." Isis mumbled, staring at the bed,

Meredith squeezed her hands again, "Another confession. We named you Isis not _just_ because of your birthmark. We swore, at the Temple, that if we had a daughter, we would name her in honor of the goddess; to thank her for bringing us together." Her mother smiled, somewhat teary eyed, "And, if you really _are_ her reincarnation, then I'm sure Isis heard us before her death. We are so proud of you, honey; and we'll always be here for you, no matter what happens."

"Do you mind telling Dad for me?" Isis questioned, somewhat pleadingly, "_Without_ most of the details? So that he doesn't want to castrate Sphinx?"

Meredith laughed; a sweet, high sound that lifted her spirits, "Isis, I highly doubt your father would want to _castrate_ him! He'd probably be bowing _down_ to him, if anything. But yes, I'll give him the edited version of the story, promise."

Isis set her mug aside before leaning forwards to hug her mother, feeling a little teary herself, "Thanks, Mom." She whispered, clinging to her as she hadn't since she was a child.

"You're welcome, Isis." Meredith squeezed her back, poking her nose once she pulled away, "Let me know if you need _anything_, alright?"

"I will, I promise." Isis smiled, quietly watching her mother stand from the bed and collect her own mug, heading for the door.

Meredith paused at the door, looking back at the bed, "Oh, and Isis?"

"Yes?"

"There are plenty of other fun things to do besides sex."

"MOM!"

Meredith's laughter trailed down the hall, Isis sitting red faced and flustered for several seconds before snapping out of it and laughing a little herself.

_And I thought my Mom was prim and proper, geez. _

Judging the time and noting that it was dark outside, Isis closed her eyes and focussed again, trying to connect with that other world. She didn't have anything else to do, and it was too early for sleep; she wasn't sure when it would get dark in Sphinx's world, but she couldn't resist the temptation to try and see him.

_She was thrilled when the familiar haze filled her mind, disappearing as it always did with a swift change in atmosphere. Her bed was gone, she could tell; what felt like mossy earth now beneath her. Different scents and sounds filled her ears, a pleasant, calm sort of atmosphere present._

_What caught her attention and made her eyes open, however, were the sudden gasping noises behind her; harsh, raspy breaths and muttered curses in a voice she very much recognized._

"_Sphinx?" she turned where she was sitting, eyes searching and widening when they found him. "Oh my..."_

_Sphinx sat on a nearby rock, his back towards her. They were in a small sort of glade, a bathing pool visible beyond the rocks. Her lover had his head bed forwards, muscles straining in his bare back, one hand braced on the rock beside him while the other disappeared between his legs, arm moving in quick, jerky motions._

_His back snapped straight when she spoke, head swerving back to stare at her, "Isis?! Shit, nonono-"_

_It was obvious what he had been doing, and the blonde could only blush as she stood, brushing herself off, "Sphinx, are you...?"_

"_Stay back!" his voice was a husky growl, "Didn't expect... you're __**early**__..."_

"_I-I was bored." She took a hesitant step forwards, being as quiet as possible, "I didn't think you'd have stopped yet...?"_

"_Sandstorm." He grunted, clearly trying to get himself under control, "Had to camp within the jungle. Escaped for some... 'private time'."_

'_So he __**was**__ masturbating.' Isis thought, biting her lip and blushing all the more, "Um... why were you? I mean, er, y'know..."_

"_I saw you earlier," he gasped, confirming her suspicions, "and the __**heat**__ came early, worse than ever."_

"_So you, er..." Isis wasn't sure what to say, merely creeping closer._

"_Didn't want... to lose control tonight." His voice was still raspy, and she knew he was doing his best to calm down, both hands clenched firmly against his knees, "Thought I would... take the __**edge**__ off."_

"_Does it hurt?"_

_Sphinx jumped at her voice right behind him, head swiveling again and lusty chocolate meeting curious emerald, the demi-god unable to look away for several moments. Then he tore his gaze away and cursed, ashamed._

"_I didn't want you seeing this-"_

"_Does it __**hurt**__?" Isis asked again, her tone demanding even as she planted her hands on her hips, stubborn as ever. She was admittedly glad she was wearing yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt; anything more tantalizing and they likely would have had a problem._

_Sphinx eyed her over his shoulder, licking his lips unconsciously. His pupils shrank dangerously, and she could see his claws leaving marks in his palms, his hands were clenched so tightly. It was all the answer she needed, really. He was in pain, and it was her fault. Logically, she should help him._

'_There are plenty of other fun things to do besides sex.', her mother had said. If that wasn't a hint, she didn't know what it was._

"_What are you-?!" Sphinx shot straight up when she brushed past him through the rocks, shuddering when her leg hit his briefly, "Isisssss..."_

"_You're in pain, Sphinx." Was all she said, giving him a shy little smile, "Let me help."_

_He had attempted to hide his actions, pants half done up and bulge clearly visible through the material. He was ashamed, and that made her frown. _

_The poor demi-god nearly jumped out of his skin when she dropped to her knees suddenly, crouching between his legs. He stared at her, wide eyed, staying completely still except his tail twitching irritably behind him, fingers twitching occasionally._

"_Sphinx." She breathed again, using the sexiest tone she could manage, "Let me help."_

_He swallowed thickly, keeping his eyes pinned to hers. "You're sure?" he managed, voice a raspy whisper. _

_Isis nodded, smiling seductively and leaning up to kiss him, a deep touch that made him shudder beneath her. She pulled back by a hairs breadth and slapped his legs lightly, making him jump again, "Pants. Off."_

_Eyes nearly black with lust, Sphinx managed a nod. Isis shifted back and sat on her haunches to give him room to maneuver, watching as he stood and shakily brought his hands to his pants._

_He finished undoing them and slid them down in a quick movement, stepping out of them and flinging them over a nearby rock. Isis was both surprised and pleased by the fact that he wore nothing underneath, gaze roving hungrily over all the creamy skin he had bared to her._

_She admittedly __**tried**__ not to focus entirely on his length, but it was kind of hard not to. She'd never seen a naked man before, and definitely not an __**aroused **__naked man. The thought that __**she **__had made his body react like this gave her confidence, however, and she took in the sight of him boldly, cheeks only barely flushed pink._

'_Damn', she mused, lips twitching, 'He's BIG.'_

_His body put every crush she'd ever had to shame, tenfold. Sphinx was all hard muscle and tanned skin, arms and torso littered with small scars from his many battles. His tail twitched anxiously behind him, her attention eventually shifting back to the part of his anatomy she needed to focus on._

_Isis wasn't a good judge of size, but she would bet that a lot of guys would be jealous of her lover's package. He was long and thick, curved slightly upwards and hard with arousal. Just the sight of him like this was doing strange things to her own body, and she mentally hushed her purring libido, licking her lips unconsciously as she drank in the sight of him._

"_Impressed?" he chuckled huskily above her, voice a growling rasp that breathed heat over her skin._

"_Very." She glanced up at him from behind her lashes, giving him her best devils smirk, "Sit down, silly."_

_Sphinx obeyed without a word, hands braced on his knees as he spread his legs again to give her room, cock now perfectly in line with her head._

_Isis swallowed the rest of her nerves and reached out, gently running her fingers along the underside of his shaft. Sphinx sucked in a sharp breath and slammed his eyes shut, teeth clenched._

_Emboldened, she shifted closer, wrapping her hand gently around the base and stroking him in long, slow movements, ignoring the increasing dampness between her own thighs at the noises he was making._

"_Isissssss..." He hissed after one particularly long stroke, hips thrusting forwards into her touch even as he groaned, body quivering. _

_Unable to help a tiny giggle, Isis stroked him a few more times before removing her hand and shifting in closer, blowing on the tip and smirking when his body convulsed. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she opened her lips and took him into her mouth, tongue swiping over the tip._

_Sphinx cried out incoherently, hands gripping her shoulders suddenly and eyes wide open, staring down at her in lustful shock._

_Isis merely continued what she was doing, taking in as much of him as she could and sliding her tongue along the hardened flesh, noting, with a hint of terrible excitement, that she could barely fit half of his cock in her mouth. 'Big indeed.'_

_Sphinx thrust his hips unconsciously, unable to help himself. Her warm, wet mouth on his cock was maddening, and he felt himself coming steadily closer to exploding._

_Gritting his teeth, Sphinx's grip on his lovers shoulder tightened unintentionally, pricking her skin, "Isissssss, stop, Ra Almighty, I'm going to-"_

_Rather than stopping, Isis stepped up her ministrations, taking in as much of him as she could and sucking as hard as she could, a hand coming up to massage around the base of him. _

_Sphinx couldn't hold it anymore; he threw his head back and __**roared**__, hips bucking forwards as he came, blinded by the sheer force of his climax._

_Isis made a noise of surprise, but determinedly kept hold of him until he was finished, managing to swallow the strange tasting liquids rather than spitting them out. She glanced up to see Sphinx watching her with hooded eyes, chest rising and falling as he fought to catch his breath. Feeling a tiny bit of seed left on her lips she licked it off, his eyes going dark and heated as he stared at her._

_Isis gave a brilliant smile, tilting her head a little, "Feeling better?"_

"_Have you..." he was panting still, voice ragged, "...done that before?"_

"_Nope. You're my first for everything, it seems."_

"_Good." He was hauling her up into his arms suddenly, seating her in his lap and kissing her for all he was worth, control still somewhat gone, "Because you're mine."_

_Isis all but melted into the kiss, feeling him stir beneath her again. She shuddered, desperately trying to ignore the damp heat throbbing at her core, knowing, from the way his nose twitched and his pupils shrank, that he could smell it._

"_No more tonight." She whispered, leaning back when he tried to kiss her again, "You're too far gone, Sphinx." 'And I'm quickly following.'_

"_Tomorrow, then," he breathed on her lips, nose bumping hers, "It's your turn to burn."_

"_Sphinx-!"_

_The demi-god only gave a throaty chuckle, eyes dark with lustful promises. "You have ten minutes." He smirked, "Before I get back to the camp site."_

"_Put your damn pants on." Isis gasped before her lover, and the glade, disappeared, leaving her sitting on her own bed yet again._

_Knowing she was still in the dream state, she ran to the bathroom, stripping as she went. Then she turned on the cold water, hit the shower switched, and jumped in._

_The freezing water did its job, cooling her heated body off and allowing her to wash away the remnants of Sphinx's want as well as her own, stepping out only once the hot lust that had been curling through her was completely gone._

_Then she toweled herself off as best she could, throwing her yoga pants and t-shirt back on as she mentally kept track of time, dashing for her bed._

_Backpedaling long enough to turn off all the lights, Isis dove into her bed and buried herself under the covers, doing her best not to think about what Sphinx had said._

_It wasn't long before his form took shape behind her, her lover crawling under the covers and looping an arm over her waist to pull her back against him, making her shiver. He had – thankfully – done as she had said and put his pants back on, but heat still thrummed from his body and she couldn't help the tiny tendrils of delight that shot through her._

"_Sleep, my Isis." He murmured into her neck, nuzzling her, "Tomorrow night, it's __**your**__ turn."_

'_I can't wait.' Her mind whispered feverishly._


	13. Chapter 13: Everything But Sex

**Authors Note:** Yeaaaaah I lied, it's not this chapter she goes back in ahaha. It's the next one! :D At least that's what my muses are telling me atm. This chapter is going to focus on Isis again, because, well, we won't be seeing _her_ world for a while after this, so it makes the most sense. That and, with the rather, um, _heated _promises made in the last chapter, I couldn't resist featuring her mother again. And Evelyn this time around. Well, you'll see.

WARNING: More oral-sex stuff ahead, though it's the _opposite_ of last time. Sphinx always keeps his promises, you see ;D And, um... this is a lot more... DETAILED then I usually do, as was the last chapter. So... yeah. Enjoy!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

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**Chapter Thirteen: Everything But Sex**

"_Tomorrow, then," he breathed on her lips, nose bumping hers, "It's your turn to burn."_

"I _am_ glad that she told you, finally. I didn't want to say anything unless she did."

"I think she realized we _wouldn't_ think she was crazy and needed to vent, Evelyn. Though I was the one to tell Howard; Isis wasn't quite comfortable talking to him about it."

"Well, I can't say I _blame _her, really. The visions _are_ quite intimate. Did she give you details?"

"Oh, yes. I must say, this 'Sphinx' sounds like quite the man."

"_Tomorrow night, it's __**your**__ turn."_

"In fact, I think we've lost her; Isis, honey, are you alright?"

"Oh, leave her be, Meredith; she's likely just reliving last night."

Isis snapped out of her daze, blinking at the two older women, "What?"

Evelyn and Meredith both laughed, causing the blonde to flush red when she realized what they had been going on about, "Sorry, didn't mean to space out..."

"It's alright, Isis." Her mother patted her comfortingly on the arm, still chuckling, "After how dazed you were all morning, I thought it likely that _something_ had happened. Did my advice help?"

Isis only sipped at her drink, earning another chorus of knowing laughter.

Meredith was right, she knew; she _had_ been dazed since waking up. Mostly because of the night's events, admittedly, but also because of the brief conversation she'd had with Sphinx that morning.

"_We'll be at the Hidden Temple in two nights." _he'd said, arms still wrapped firmly around her and breath hot on her neck, the demi-god knowing _exactly _what he was doing to her body, _"That's when you need to come back, Isis. In two nights."_

"_That's when the performance at the ROM is."_ She'd answered, shivering, _"I don't know __**how**__ to come back, Sphinx!"_

"_You'll figure it out." _He'd kissed her throat then, voice going husky as he began to disappear, _"Don't forget my promise, Isis. I'll see you tonight."_

_I still can't believe I __**did**__ that._ Isis played with her mug a little, blushing down at it, _'Bold' is NOT a word I usually use to describe myself, but geez, I didn't even __**hesitate**__. I am __**not**__ that confident in real life!_

Isis had accompanied Meredith to the ROM that morning to meet with Evelyn and try on her outfit for the performance, somewhat annoyed by how much skin it showed but at least glad it covered her cleavage.

"_You look beautiful."_ Sphinx's voice had ghosted over her ear while she was trying it on, making her spin and catch the briefest glimpse of her lover before he disappeared, leaving her with a stirring heat deep in her belly.

Just as she'd done the day before, he had figured out how to catch glimpses of her world, how to interact with it outside of the visions, however briefly.

And he was using it to drive her crazy.

Now, Isis sat at Williams Cafe with her mother and god-mother, simply out for a 'girls day' that the older women had demanded.

"You'll be needing to go back, soon," Meredith had explained calmly, trying to hide the worry that showed in her eyes, "We'd just like to take you out for a day before then, is all."

And so, here they sat, talking about everything and anything in a little corner booth away from most of the other customers, planning to head for the Eaton's Centre afterwards for some shopping.

Though their favorite topic seemed to be 'embarrass Isis'.

"So how big is he?"

Isis gagged, chocking and coughing on the hot liquid stuck in her throat. She managed to swallow it after a moments struggle, fighting to catch her breath while staring at the grinning women in disbelief.

"_What?_" she coughed, thinking she had heard wrong.

"I said, 'how big is he'?" Meredith grinned innocently, lifting an eyebrow, "I know you to well, Isis. I _know_ you two did something last night, and I _know_ you're smart enough to stick to the boundaries you've been given."

"And you don't look worn out enough to have been on the receiving end..." Evelyn added with a smirk, "So, logically speaking..."

"You two are _crazy._" Isis managed, not quite believing that they were asking her this. They gave her a pointed look and she blushed, glancing away. "Um, pretty big..."

"Any size estimations?"

Thoroughly embarrassed, Isis lifted her hands and moved them about the proper distance apart, still looking away. Her cheeks only went redder when both women gave low whistles.

"My goodness, the boy's well endowed. How much did you manage...?"

"A-about half..."

"Oh, sweetheart," Meredith was still laughing, a hand coming to rest of her daughter shoulder, "You are in for one _very wild ride_ when you two finally meet."

"MOM!"

"She's right, dear; I imagine you won't be able to _walk_ for a few days, either."

"AUNT EVIE!"

Her mother and god-mother only smiled innocently, Isis burying her cherry-red face in her hands with a groan, shaking her head, "Can we _not _talk about this in a public place? Please? God, I never thought you guys were _perverts_!"

"Oh, we're just teasing you, Isis. We have to while we can; you've never _had_ a boyfriend before!"

"Besides, dear, weren't you telling me this morning that you were rather _nervous _about tonight for some reason?"

Isis shot her mother a look, cursing herself for letting that slip, "M-maybe..."

"He plans to return the favor, doesn't he?" when Isis only looked away, the older women shared a knowing look.

"I'm kind of... scared." Isis admitted lamely, fidgeting with her mug, "I always am when I'm not... y'know, _in_ the visions. I don't _know_ him!"

"Ah, but your body and soul do." Evelyn reminded her gently, sipping at her coffee, "Much as I understand the fear, Isis, in the end there is no point to it. Has he ever given you a reason to fear him? To question his intentions?"

"Not really, no. I just... it scares me how quickly I give in to him, how deeply he makes me feel."

"_Because you're mine."_ His voice whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

"What if we go too far?" she whispered quietly, cringing at her own weakness.

"Have you given in yet?"

"Well, no..."

"Then I think you will be fine." Evelyn smiled at the girl, sympathetic and knowing, "Two days, Isis. You must only hold out for another two days."

"I know..."

"I think we've teased her enough for now, Evelyn." Meredith chuckled, setting her empty mug down on the table, "We wanted to take her _shopping_, remember?"

"Ah, yes, you're right, Meredith. That _one store _is a must, for sure."

"What store?" Isis questioned suspiciously, eyebrows drawn down.

"Oh, nothing special, Isis, you'll see when we get there."

XXXXXXXXXXX

_I am going to __**kill**__ them!_ Isis swore mentally, standing with her arms crossed and her eyes averted to the ceiling, face red yet again. _Why, God, why do you hate me?!_

Of all the stores they could have taken her in, they had chosen Victoria's Secret and were taking every opportunity they could to embarrass her.

"These baby dolls are _adorable_, Isis, you should try one on!"

"Goodness, they don't hide much, do they? No wonder men like them so much."

"She has the figure to pull it off, though. I imagine her lover would approve"

"Guys, are you _trying_ to get me _screwed_?!" Isis hissed furiously, doing her best to ignore the giggling sales women hovering nearby, "We're trying to stay _in control_, remember?"

"Oh, please, if he's resisted you this long, I'm sure you're fine." Meredith waved her off, running a hand over the fabric of a rather revealing baby doll, "Besides, lingerie can boost your own confidence as well as grab his interest, Isis. It is as much for the woman's benefit as it is for the mans."

"I can't do this." The blonde whirled and stalked off towards the actual _bra_ section, her mother and godmothers laughter trailing behind her.

Sexy lingerie was _not_ high on her 'to buy list'. She'd never been overly confident about her own body. Sure, she knew she had a _decent _figure, but it was nothing amazing. Even despite Sphinx telling her repeatedly she was beautiful, she didn't quite believe it.

_I __**do**__ need a new bra, admittedly..._ Isis bit her lip, wandering through the bra section. Normally she just wore simple cotton bras, nothing special, but... what could it hurt to do something a _little_ different?

She went for a lacy little bra with minor gem work along the tops of the cups; nothing crazy fancy but definitely more 'dressy' then she usually went for. She grabbed a matching pair of panties as well because, hey, a new pair of panties could never hurt.

Isis managed to buy the set before Meredith and Evelyn caught up with her, sharing a knowing look when they spotted the bag somewhat hidden behind her back.

Neither questioned her about it, however, and they wandered the mall for a while longer before Evelyn bid them farewell, returning to the ROM to finalize plans for the opening ceremony.

Meredith and Isis returned home to the smell of dinner cooking and Howard greeting them with a smile, winking at his daughter before returning to his task.

"Go take a shower, honey," Meredith nudged her daughter, smiling knowingly, "Dinner'll be ready soon."

"_You have an hour."_ Sphinx's voice whispered suddenly, and Isis practically _ran_ up the stairs, startled and anxious and excited.

She unwrapped and de-tagged the new bra and panties, leaving them on the bed while she stripped and headed for the bathroom, taking the quickest legit shower of her life.

Toweling herself off afterwards, she left her hair down to dry and moved back into her bedroom, pausing to stare at herself in the mirror.

_I'm... okay, I guess._ Isis bit her lip, scrutinizing her reflection, turning this way and that way, blushing, _Nothing compared to the sex-god that is Sphinx, fuck... I am __**so**__ screwed..._

"_Isis..."_ a hot breath brushed over her bare shoulder, a hand caressing her naked thigh before the feelings disappeared again, leaving her gasping for air and decidedly damp between her legs.

"Keep control, Isis, _breathe._" She muttered to herself, grateful for the distraction when her mother called up the stairs to her. She slipped on her new panties and bra and covered them with yoga pants and a t-shirt, jogging down the stairs and joining her parents in the kitchen.

Admittedly distracted, Isis barely ate any of her dinner, and stayed quiet while her parents discussed the upcoming exhibition at the ROM. Her thoughts wandered from the smiley face she had made with her peas to the husky tone of Sphinx's voice to the way he had looked the night before, panting and sweaty and hard.

All because of _her_. And while that thought surely _should_ have boosted her confidence, she was still as anxious as ever.

Isis froze when the weight of a hand settled on her thigh, giving it a quick squeeze before moving up, drifting over her hip and under her shirt to rest on her stomach.

Gritting her teeth against a sharp gasp, the blonde pushed suddenly back from the table, practically knocking her chair over in the process.

"I'm done." She panted, grip on the table much stronger than it should have been, "May I be e-excused?"

Howard looked perplexed, since all of the intimate details had been left out of his explanation. Meredith just gave a knowing grin, nodding, "Go ahead, sweetheart."

Isis gave a curt nod before whirling and dashing away up the stairs, heat rising steadily within her. She half expected the haze to come as soon as she reached her bedroom, but there was no sign of it when she entered and slammed the door locked behind her.

Having completely forgotten to even _attempt_ and keep track of what time it was, she panicked, hurriedly pulling off her clothes and tossing them in the hamper before freezing and realizing she _really_ didn't want to just be in her underwear when he appeared.

The girl ran to her closet and started digging through it frantically for _anything_ that would work as a cover, anything at all.

Near the back she stopped, staring at the garment she'd forgotten she owned. It was a long, black, silky robe, solid but clearly meant for lounging in more than providing warmth.

Melanie had bought it for her, back in the days when they were teenagers giggling about romance stories and imagining their own, as a Christmas gift, saying it would make her feel more like the heroines of those romance novels.

_It certainly suits the occasion._ Biting back the wave of nostalgic guilt that rose up Isis snatched the robe and pulled it over her arms, scowling when she realized it would be ridiculously tight over her bust if she did it up, _Better than nothing, I guess._

Isis had just crossed back over to her dresser to scrutinize herself again when the haze began to form, the girl gasping in surprise and bracing herself on the chest, heat flashing over her...

_...She was panting by the time the room had settled again, no major changes obvious. She stayed where she was, staring down at the dresser, listening for any sign of movement, knowing that he was there._

"_Isis." He rumbled from behind her and Isis gasped, head shooting up to lock on his reflection in the mirror. _

_Sphinx stood right beside her bed, tail swaying behind him the only movement. His armor was gone, along with his arm braces and belt pouch, leaving him in just his pants. He'd even taken his headdress off, black hair framing his handsome face and giving him a rugged look._

_She met his eyes and nearly melted, frozen by the hunger and affection in that deep chocolate gaze._

"_God." She whimpered, slamming her eyes closed, "I can't..."_

"_Isis?" his voice was a quiet rumble, questioning, and she heard him padding across the room, "What's wrong?"_

"_I'm scared." She whispered._

"_Of what?" he was right behind her now, heat radiating off of him and making her body shudder in delight._

"_Of you. Of the way you make me feel."_

"_Why?"_

"_I don't know." She whispered, shaking, "I just am."_

"_I would never hurt you." His arms wrapped around her waist suddenly, pulling her back against that hard body, nuzzling at her neck, "You know that."_

"_What if we lose control?" she gasped, the robe doing nothing to deter the heat he was giving off._

"_I won't." He promised, pressing a kiss to her throat, "Please, Isis. You helped me last night. Let me return the favour."_

"_S-Sphinx..."_

"_Look at me." He had turned her around suddenly, and Isis forced her eyes to open, hesitantly meeting his, "You're as tense as I was, and I __**know**__ the heat is driving you mad. I can __**smell**__ it, Isis." He leaned closer, dark eyes holding hers firmly, "Let me __**help**__."_

_He was echoing her words from the night before, and Isis licked her lips, some of her worry melting away at the look in his eyes. "O-okay..." she whispered, hands coming up to rest on his arms._

_Sphinx hesitated only long enough to give her a reassuring smile before leaning in and catching her lips, cutting off anything else she might have said. _

_His hands moved up her arms and to her shoulders, sliding the robe off and letting it fall to the ground. _

_Isis had no time to react before he hooked his hands under her legs and hoisted her up against him, gasping into his mouth and holding on for dear life as he carried her back towards the bed._

_Still kissing her, he laid her down and followed her, settling himself between her legs and pressing down against her. Isis whined into his mouth, arms tightening around his neck to keep him close, heat blooming in the pit of her stomach._

_Sphinx pulled back only when they needed to breathe, sitting up and looking her over with clouded eyes, smirking arrogantly. _

"_Beautiful." He rumbled, making her blush as he leaned back in to kiss her again, a hand sneaking along under her chest, "And __**mine.**__"_

_She hadn't realized what he was doing until she felt a tug at the centre of her bra, a claw slipping under the flimsy band and snapping it clean in two._

_Gasping in aroused outrage, Isis opened her mouth to berate him and instead wound up moaning when he cupped both breasts greedily, back arching off the bed at the unfamiliar sensations running through her._

"_Oh my God." She wheezed when he started to knead at the soft mounds, head thrown back in startled pleasure, "Sphinx..."_

"_That's nothing." He chuckled huskily, and she sucked in a harsh breath when he thumbed her nipples, rolling them into hard little nubs, "Just wait."_

"_You're going to kill me." She whimpered, hands fisting in the sheets as he continued his ministrations, whining when he shifted his knee to press it between her legs, the heat coiling tighter._

_Knowing she was distracted Sphinx shifted down her body, pulling one taught nipple into his mouth and suckling greedily, enticed by the startled mewls the action pulled from her. He rolled the little bud with his tongue before biting down gently, just enough to leave tiny red marks, pausing a moment to survey his work before bending to lavish the other breast with the same attention._

_Isis could barely think; her mind was overrun with pleasure and heat, completely at the mercy of Sphinx's talented mouth._

_She didn't even notice him move again until she felt her panties being tugged down and a finger drift along her lower lips, eyes snapping open with a cry._

_Sphinx merely smirked against her breast, biting down on the second nipple as he repeated his actions down below, stroking a few more times before daring to slip a finger inside._

"_Oh God!" Isis hissed, hands clamping onto his shoulders as he added a second finger and began to pump, in and out, her breathing growing more ragged with every movement._

"_That's nothing, love." The demi-god gave her breast one last nip before kissing his way down her stomach, leaving tiny love bites as he went, adding a third finger and stretching her as he moved._

_Losing her grip on his shoulders as he moved further down Isis fisted her hands in the sheets again, gritting her teeth and bucking into his fingers automatically, needing __**more**__. She'd lost track of his movements again, barely noticing when he pulled her panties all the way off and removed his fingers to throw her legs over his shoulders._

_Then his tongue passed over her and she __**shrieked**__, eyes snapping open in startled pleasure and chest heaving, "Sphinx-!"_

"_Like that?" he smirked at her from between her thighs, Isis flushing hotly at the lurid picture before her, "I'm just getting started."_

_Sphinx bent his head to lick her again and Isis through her head back with a hearty moan, eyes slamming shut as the pleasure washed over her._

"_Oh, __**God**__..." she whined, bucking her hips desperately, far too gone to even care that she was begging._

_Sphinx merely smirked and switched to darting his tongue inside, swiping it over her clit again and again and making her squirm desperately, his grip on her hips all that kept her still._

"_Sphinx – oh god – I'm going to-!" her chest was heaving, the heat in her belly coiled so tightly it was about to burst._

"_I want you to scream." He whispered huskily before locking his mouth over her clit and __**sucking**__, driving her body over the edge as the coil snapped._

"_SPHINX!" the girls' body arched off the bed as she came, shrieking and spasming with the shock of her first orgasm. Sphinx merely locked his arms around her legs and held her in place, waiting until she had stopped shaking to release her._

_Dropping her legs and crawling up her body to hover over her, Sphinx gave her a very masculine smirk, clearly proud of himself. "Feeling better?" he questioned, echoing her again._

_Isis could only laugh, still breathless as she hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him down against her, kissing him softly, "I'll tell you... when I can breathe." She wheezed, making him chuckle._

"_That's my girl." He nuzzled into her neck, pausing to kiss his mark, "You're beautiful, Isis."_

"_I knew... you wouldn't care about underwear."_

_Sphinx pulled back to look at her, confused, "What?"_

_The blonde motioned to the remains of her bra, tossed carelessly onto the ground, "I just bought that... today. To wear... for you." She tried to look mad and failed, "And you... wrecked it."_

"_Sorry." The demi-god was somewhat perplexed, but he hid it with a wicked grin, "I prefer you naked, to be quite honest."_

"_Pervert." She mumbled, clearly ready to drift off._

"_No sleeping yet." He chuckled, "You need to put some damn clothes on, Isis."_

"_Why?" she batted innocent eyes up at him, earning a dark look._

"_Because I can't promise that I won't ravish you in your sleep if you don't." He breathed, a dark promise to his voice that made her shudder._

"_Fine, fine." She sighed, pushing him off and climbing somewhat shakily from the bed. Sphinx watched her cross to the dresser, eyes darkening dangerously at the way her ass moved, skin deliciously shiny from their prior activities._

'_Hold it together, Sphinx.' He tore his gaze away, not looking back until she had turned the lights off and was crawling back into the bed, wearing a baggy t-shirt and sleep shorts._

"_Are you scared anymore?" he whispered as they laid down, the girl curled comfortably against his chest._

"_A little." She admitted, "But not of you. Two days."_

"_Two days." He agreed, holding her close as sleep began to overwhelm him, a naughty thought forming in his mind._

"_And then," he whispered against her throat, grinning cheekily, "I'll __**really**__ make you burn."_


	14. Chapter 14: Finding the Way

**Authors Note:** Hey guys! :D You're not gonna like me because things get fairly innocent for the next little while ahaha. Regarding sex and stuff, at least. Isis does indeed return in this chapter, but that doesn't come till further in ;). Regardless, I hope you enjoy! We're getting further into the plot this time around!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Finding The Way**

**The Hidden Temple of Isis, Sakkara**

**The Days of the Gods**

"W-we made it! S-Sphinx, we made i-it! W-wow, Isis's Temple is _h-huge_!"

"Geez, the only _hidden_ thing about this place is that it's in Sakkara!"

"Isis was an important Goddess; of _course_ it's a bigger Temple. She was Osiris's beloved."

_And now she's mine._ Sphinx resisted a smirk, leading his companions closer to the Temple. They had made the rest of the journey in a day and a half, stopping only to sleep and trudging determinedly forwards.

The stubborn heat had apparently been appeased by their intimate actions and they had spent the night before simply talking, trying to figure out how Isis was supposed to get back. She'd still been somewhat embarrassed by their prior actions, but Sphinx had no qualms about it whatsoever.

"_Do you know what these are?" _Isis had asked, producing two golden amulets, _"I kept meaning to ask you but, well... y'know. My parents gave me them."_

"_These are Portal Amulets."_ He'd answered, rather surprised, _"You offer them to a Portal God in exchange for transportation to a specific location."_

"_I... might know how to get back, then."_

Isis hadn't been willing to expand on that, and Sphinx hadn't pushed it. The last thing he wanted was to alienate her in any way.

Now, though, as the Temple loomed over them the closer they got, Sphinx felt anxious for the first time since his first adventure had ended.

_We're here, Isis. The rest is up to you._

"We should make camp." He voiced aloud, looking to his companions, "Bast warned us not to go inside the Temple, and I'm not about to chance disobeying her. It's getting dark, anyways; whatever happens now, it's up to Isis."

Tut and Horus nodded, the three going about setting up their tents and getting a fire started. They were far enough away so as to not alert any of the Temples Guardians, but close enough that they could see the Entranceway fairly clearly.

Sphinx finished his tent first, working at stoking the fire while the other two finished theirs. Tut was incredibly proud when he finished his all by himself, the mummy doing a silly little dance before righting himself and taking his place at the fire. Sphinx gave him an encouraging grin, happy with his friend's improvement.

Horus followed after a moment's hesitation, breaking out his supplies and digging into his rations without a word. The bird demi-god was still a somewhat unwelcome addition to the group, but Sphinx had managed to bite his tongue, knowing their Master would only berate them once they had returned if he found out they had been fighting again.

"A-are you excited, Sphinx?" Tut broke the silence suddenly, eyeing his friend anxiously.

Sphinx lifted an eyebrow, quirking his lips and joking, "What do you mean, Tut?"

"T-that Isis is coming? T-that she'll really b-be here?"

"Of course I am. Nervous, too."

"Y-you? N-nervous? H-hah!" the mummy shook with laughter, "Y-yeah right!"

Sphinx smirked at his friend's amusement, roasting a sausage over the fire and falling silent. Tut was right; he wasn't nervous. Excited, anxious, and impatient? Yes, but not nervous. Isis had that emotion more then covered for the both of them.

_Hurry, Isis._ He sent mentally, knowing she would get the message. _We're waiting for you._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**The ROM, Toronto, ON**

**Present Day**

_Hurry, Isis; we're waiting for you._

Isis shivered as the voice brushed over her, hands pausing in tying her costume on. Meredith noticed from where she was going over her final notes, glancing up at her daughter.

"Isis? Are you alright?"

"Fine, Mom." She managed to finish tying the straps and took a deep breath, forcing herself to smile, "Promise."

"Alright, sweetheart. I know tonight's a _big night_, but please be careful, alright? I'm going to be worried the whole time you're gone."

"I know you will be; I promise I'll be alright."

Meredith only nodded, stealing a hug before heading out of the office to help with the set up for the ceremony, leaving her daughter to deflate and slump into one of the desk's chairs.

_This is it._ She thought nervously, licking her lips and eyeing the two amulets she'd been sure to bring with her, sitting innocently on her Aunt's desk. _I have to go back tonight._

Isis more or less knew what she had to do in order to get back; Evelyn had given her the final clue, after all, when she had explained what the Portal God was that day so long ago. Sphinx's reaction to the amulets had only solidified that belief.

Sighing, she forced herself up, moving to stand in front of the antique mirror her Aunt kept in her office, looking herself over. The costume was definitely that of an Egyptian Dancer's, though she suspected the fact that it even _had_ a top was all for her benefit and the modesty of the century, since dancer's in ancient times usually went bare breasted.

_Screw that._ The top was a halter, layered with tiny golden disks hanging from the lower edge. The skirt was long and only covered her in the front and back, literal booty shorts the only thing underneath. Her forearms were covered in clingy, golden material, hung with flimsy strips of transparent fabric, and she wore simple sandals.

She'd done the best Egyptian Eye Makeup she could manage, and her hair had been straightened and braided in small sections to fit the look, a thin circlet hung with more golden disks around her brow.

She couldn't even wear a bra under the damn shirt, and she grumbled under her breath, sincerely annoyed. _This is the last time you'll see this world for a while._ She reminded herself, shoulders slumping a little, _Make the most of it._

Isis wanted to help Tut, she really did. And she wanted to meet Sphinx. But... this was her time, her world. She was, obviously, terrified.

Not that she could do anything about it now.

Sighing again, Isis snatched the amulets and headed out of the office, towards the front hall where the dance would be taking place. They'd set up a temporary stage area, and she was supposed to wait in the back part of it until the performance began. She would just have to head for the Portal God after it was done, she supposed, not really knowing when else to do it. There hadn't been much of a hint in the books or what Sphinx had told her...

_Isis..._

Isis froze at the sudden voice in her mind, startled. It wasn't Sphinx. She glanced around wildly, confused. Who...?

_Isis..._ the voice crooned again, soft, feminine, and urgent. _It is time, Isis..._

"Isis?" the blonde girl whirled around, staring at Evelyn in shock, licking her lips.

"A-Aunt Evie." She started, shaking, "D-did you hear that voice?"

"What voice?" Evelyn was smiling softly, and she stepped forwards to pat her god daughter on the shoulder, "Was it Sphinx?"

"N-no, it sounded like a woman. It said... that it's time..."

The older woman chuckled softly, shaking her head, "I was afraid of that. You can't wait any longer, Isis; you must return, _now_."

"But the performance-"

"I'll come up with an excuse, _and_ I'll let your parents know." Evie promised, shooing the girl back towards the Egyptian Exhibit, still smiling, "_Go_, Isis. Quickly now."

Licking dry lips Isis nodded and took off back in the direction she had come from, darting past security and workers alike as she followed the strange aura.

She hesitated just before entering the back room, taking a deep breath and then stepping in, trying to be brave.

The Portal God sat where it had been when she'd last seen it, but it was _awake_. Unseeing Golden Eyes turned towards her as she approached, magic flaring in the air around the beast as it seemed to take her in.

"**You are a strange one, child."** The creature rumbled, bending closer to her, **"I have never seen the likes of you before. What are you?"**

"The reincarnation of Isis." Surprised by how strong her voice sounded, Isis carried on before she could lose her nerve, "I require your services, Portal God."

"**Of course, my lady. Do you have an offering for transportation?"**

"I do." Isis held out the golden amulet marked with her name, hardly surprised when it lifted out of her hands as she stepped into the golden circle on the ground, "I require transportation to the Hidden Temple of Isis, in Sakkara."

"**Very well, my lady. Be warned though; the Guardians there shall need proof of your identity."**

"What-?!" Isis gasped as she was suddenly hurled forwards into darkness, mind blacking out as magic rushed around her, the Portal God's words echoing through her mind.

She woke up suddenly when she hit the ground, coughing from the impact and struggling to stand, vision hazy.

"Where...?" she muttered, grabbing onto a nearby pillar and blinking the haze from her eyes, gaping at what lay before her.

A Portal God nearly identical to the one she had used sat behind her, grinning in amusement. She was in a recessed area of the Chamber, however, set behind several pillars and a raised throne. The room was gigantic, and she knew immediately that it was the antechamber of a temple, all polished marble and statues and pillars.

Scratching idly at her wrist Isis started, staring at the feathers protruding from her skin. A similar itch on her ankles alerted her to feathers there, as well, and behind her ears – which were now long and pointed, she noted with a gasp.

She barely recognized that her shirt felt tighter as well before something in the main chamber caught her attention, shining in an errant beam of torchlight.

Carefully making her way down to the main antechamber, Isis picked her way along the floor cautiously, paranoid. She went to one knee before the object, reaching out and picking it up, staring at it with a twinge of recognition.

_A shard of a Canopic Jar?_ She mused silently, tucking it into the small pocket in the back of her shorts before freezing, realizing that something was looming over her.

Spinning she had to choke back a scream, skittering backwards and away from the marble statue frowning down at her, a long spear clutched between its gigantic hands.

"**Trespasser!" **it rumbled, **"Who are you who dares desecrate this blessed Temple of Isis?"**

Swallowing her fear, Isis attempted to stand tall despite the fact that she was shaking, "I-I am Isis, the reincarnation of your Mistress, come from the future.

"**Insolence! If you are who you say, then prove yourself!"**

"H-how?"

"**Show us your wings, that we may be sure, as our lady is that of the sky and the wind, the mother of all things living!"**

_Wings?_ Isis panicked mentally, slamming her eyes shut and praying, _trying_ to make something happen, anything! She felt her birthmark _burn_ before the stinging disappeared, leaving her cold and terrified.

"I-I can't! I don't know _how_-!"

"**IMPOSTER!" **the statue roared, lifting its spear to strike, **"You shall pay for your insolence with death!"**

_RUN!_ Her mind screamed, and Isis didn't hesitate to obey, making a mad dash for the entranceway and speeding up when she heard the statue chasing her.

_Oh my God, I'm going to die. Help, someone! SPHINX!_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_SPHINX!_

The shout in his mind had the demi-god bolting up from his half dazed position, tail snapping back and forth as he surveyed the area, startled.

_Isis?_

She didn't reply, and his companions gave him weird looks as he began to stalk towards the Temple, agitated.

"Sphinx, where are you going? You said we weren't supposed to go near the temple, remember?"

"She's here!" he shouted back at them, fingers flexing as the Blade of Osiris appeared in his hand, ready for battle, "And she's in trouble. Come _on_!"

Tutankhamen and Horus shared a look before following after, Tut carrying the sword he'd acquired from Bast and Horus ready with the daggers he used.

Sphinx hesitated when he was within twenty feet of the Temple, unsure. Everything seemed quiet, peaceful – had he been imagining things? Was his mind playing tricks on him?

The scream that ripped through the air told him he'd been right.

A figure dashed out of the Temples Entranceway, followed closely by a giant statue wielding a spear.

The figure tripped at the bottom of the stairs and barely managed to dodge out of the way when the spear came rushing down, forcing itself to its feet and taking off again, desperately trying to get away from the Guardian.

Sphinx was frozen, unsure, until he heard the string of curses leaving the woman's mouth in a voice he knew all too well. "ISIS!"

"Sphinx?!" she paused then, trying to locate him, shrieking and diving out of the way when the spear crashed down into the sand again, "Fuck!"

"ISIS! RUN THIS WAY!" he was loping forwards immediately, companions following closely behind.

Isis spotted him this time and tried to run towards him, blocked again by the spear and forced to dash in the other direction. Cursing, Sphinx picked up his pace, knowing that all that lay on that other side was a chasm.

Isis came to a stumbling stop when she suddenly hit the end of the ground, staring wide eyed at the vast expanse of _nothing_ before her. She whirled when she heard the Guardian behind her again, falling to her knees and covering her head with a whimper when it loomed over her, ready to strike.

_Sphinx!_

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

There was snarling and the sound of marble hitting something – a shield? – before a pained howl rang through the night, making her shudder. Silence fell suddenly, but Isis didn't dare lift her head, terrified.

"Isis?" a familiar voice spoke above her, and her head snapped up, startled.

It was Sphinx. He was real, and he was here, and he had saved her. The Marble Guardian lay motionless in the sands beyond him, sliced to pieces by the glowing sword in the demi-gods hand.

Allowing the sword to disappear Sphinx offered her a hand, smiling softly, "Isis. Are you alright?"

"U-um..." stumbling over her own tongue the girl reached for his hand, squeaking when he tugged her to her feet suddenly and falling against him, shuddering at the heat coming from him.

"Isis?" he questioned again, his voice husky, and she tugged back to stare at him, barely breathing.

"I made it." She whispered, "I made it back. You're real. This is _all real_."

Her mind quaked under all of the sudden information, and the very real fact that she had _almost been killed_. So she did what any girl would do.

She fainted.


	15. Chapter 15: Knowing You

**Authors Note:** Hey all! :D Bit of a pause between chapters this time, whoops. Muses needed a break I guess haha – plus I went and saw the new Thor movie this weekend, so good! Anyways, more Journey stuff this time around. And awkwardness between Sphinx and Isis :D C'mon, I can't make it easy for them, that'd be no fun! Either way, enjoy!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Knowing You**

Sphinx was worried.

Isis had been awake for over an hour, and she had barely said two words to anyone. She would barely even _look_ at him, honestly.

So scratch that; he was worried _and_ annoyed.

Tut had made an excuse about needing to grab more firewood and dragged Horus away with him, leaving the two alone at camp. Sphinx was grateful to the mummy, though he had no idea how to proceed here.

They sat across the fire from each other, neither speaking. Sphinx sat with his elbows resting on his knees, tail twitching behind him as he watched her through the flames, trying to decide what to say.

Isis sat with her knees tucked together and a blanket wrapped firmly around her, even covering the top of her head. She stared at the fire, eyes widening and narrowing, lips pursing and eyebrows creasing, nose twitching occasionally.

Then suddenly she slammed her eyes shut with a hiss and groaned, wrapping herself completely in the blanket and tipping backwards off her log.

"Isis?!" Sphinx was up in an instant, hastening to her side, "What happened, are you alright?!"

"It hurts." She whimpered from within the blanket, the demi-god scowling and kneeling beside her to hear her better.

"What hurts?"

"The light. The sounds. _Everything_." She was shaking now, he realized. "All of my senses are suddenly TEN TIMES stronger than they were! Lights are brighter, sounds are louder, scents are _overwhelming... _and... my _body's_ different, too."

Though Sphinx hadn't mentioned it, he'd noticed the differences, too. She was curvier now then she had been in the dreams, bustier; her ears were pointed like his, and feathers had sprouted there as well as on her wrists and ankles.

"You're a demi-goddess now, Isis." He tried to sound reassuring, rubbing her back through the blanket, "You're seeing things the way I see them, now."

The girl shuddered under his touch, pulling the blanket back just enough to glance at him, emerald eyes dark and hazy. "The heat's still here." She whispered breathily, "I thought it was supposed to _stop_..."

"Isis..." Sphinx sighed, not sure what to say. Then he scooped her up, ignoring her surprised squeak and sitting on her abandoned log to settle her in his lap, leaving the blanket as it was. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, frowning when she tensed.

"I think..." he began, "That the heat will _always_ be there, to some degree. It usually is when people are... attracted to each other." Yes, that sounded good. "But it's not overwhelming anymore. I was going crazy when you wouldn't talk to me, but I'm damn content just holding you like this."

"I'm sorry." He felt some of the tension drain out of her, "I'm just overwhelmed. I'm not... _brave _in reality, Sphinx. Not like in the dreams."

"What are you talking about?" Sphinx sat up, pulling the blanket from her head and letting it pool around her waist, making her face him, "You haven't run away from a single thing since this started. You figured out a way here, and you made it. I call that brave."

Isis was _almost_ smiling as she turned, her breath catching when she realized how close their faces were, "Sphinx..."

Sphinx bumped his nose against hers, "You're beautiful, too; no matter which form you're in." Her eyes closed and he leaned in, lips just barely brushing...

"Hey, we got the firewood! Crazy mummy almost got eaten, though!"

"I-I did _not_!"

Isis practically _leaped_ away from him, blanket once more wrapped firmly around her as she curled at the end of the log, face red.

Sphinx resisted an angry growl, schooling his features and digging his claws into his pants, "Thanks."

"N-no problem." Tut slanted his friend a questioning look before depositing his small armful of branches near the fire, offering the blonde girl a friendly grin, "H-how are you f-feeling, Isis? B-better?"

"A little." Isis hesitated before dropping the blanket from her head again, smiling shyly, "Thank you for your concern, Prince Tutankhamen."

"P-please, call me Tut." The mummy waved off her formalities, retaking his seat near the fire, "I h-hear that enough b-back in Luxor. It's n-nice to not be f-formal."

"As you wish."

"Anyone besides me realize how _late_ it is?" Horus spoke up suddenly, arms crossed and a vague look of annoyance on his face, "We need to get back to Bast tomorrow, remember? So I'm going to bed."

"It's probably a good idea if we all turn in." Sphinx agreed, eyes turning again to the quiet girl at his side, "Though we didn't set up an extra tent, so Isis will have to share."

"Tut, do you mind if I share yours?" Isis asked quickly, keeping her eyes pinned on the mummy, "That's the one I was in while I was unconscious anyways, wasn't it?"

"U-uh..." Tut eyed Sphinx silently, then looked back to Isis when the demi-god gave a nearly imperceptible nod, "S-sure, Isis, if that's w-what you want. I-I don't technically _s-sleep_ anyways, s-so you can h-have the pallet."

"Thank you, Tut. Well." She stood awkwardly then, glancing at Sphinx briefly and turning red before she looked away, "Good night, then."

The blonde fled into the tent, disappearing inside of it. Tut shrugged and followed after with a quiet 'good night!', Horus giving a snort of laughter before disappearing into his own.

Sphinx gave a rough sigh and stood, staring longingly at his friend's tent. Was he disappointed? Yes, but not surprised. Isis had just _gotten_ there; it would take time for her to adjust and adapt.

He would never push her; if she needed space for now, then he would give it to her.

And, hopefully soon, the trust that they'd shared in the dreams would transfer to reality.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Isis awoke to muted voices and the smell of roasting meat.

She lay still on her borrowed pallet and stared at the canvas roof of the tent, arms straight at her sides and lip caught between her teeth.

_I'm an idiot._ She scowled, pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes, cursing herself. _I'm such a coward! I hurt him last night, I know I did, and all because I'm scared of what I'm feeling. This isn't a dream anymore! This is reality! I need to stop being a coward and face it!_

Tut was still unconscious in his corner, and Isis pushed herself up quietly, sneaking over to the entrance of the tent. Her nose twitched at the smell of food, stomach grumbling hungrily, but she ignored it and crouched by the opening, pulling it back just enough to peak through.

At first all she could see was Horus, turning a small carcass on a spit over the fire, whistling under his breath.

Then Sphinx walked into her vision and he was all she could see.

_This is better than any dream._

His skin was practically bronze in the harsh Sakkara sun, muscles rolling fluidly in his arms and legs as he moved, tail swaying hypnotically behind him.

"I'm an idiot." She whispered again, unable to make herself breech that barrier and join him in the sun.

"N-no, you're n-not."

Isis jumped with a squeak, head snapping around to stare at the mummy even as a blush rose on her cheeks.

Tut merely gave her that goofy grin, somewhat more subtle than usual, "I-I get it, looking a-at you two. I c-can see it."

"S-see what?" Isis questioned, licking her lips nervously.

"T-that you l-love each other." The mummy nodded to himself, "Y-you both... _mirror_ Nefertiti and I. Y-you're a nervous wreck, j-just like _I_ always was. And Sphinx i-is confident and c-concerned, like Nefertiti. T-that's how love is, I think."

"Then why do I hurt him like this?" she whispered, ears drawing back, "I'm a coward, Tut. I can barely even _look _at him."

"S-Sphinx understands, y'know. A-and you'll get passed it." Now Tut gave his biggest smile, completing it with a 'thumbs up', "J-just don't push him away so much, okay?"

Isis couldn't help but smile in return, feeling a little braver, "Thanks, Tut. I'll try not to."

"S-shall we get breakfast, then?"

Stomach growling again, Isis laughed and stood, "Sounds good."

The blonde girl stepped out of the tent quietly, wincing as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight streaming down on them. Surprisingly, though, her senses no longer felt overwhelmed; it was as though the night's sleep had given her body the time to adjust that it needed.

"G-good morning!" Tut broke the silence as he exited the tent, moving to join Horus near the fire. The bird demi-god merely grunted in reply, eyes still on the spinning carcass.

Sphinx turned from where he'd been dismantling his tent and flashed a grin at his friend, the expression softening as his gaze slid to Isis.

"Morning." He called.

Isis managed a shaky smile, "G-good morning."

Grin widening again, Sphinx went back to taking down the tent while Isis moved to join the others at the fire, nose twitching as she eyed the meat.

"What _is_ that?"

"Almost a Bull." Horus answered, "Tricky buggers to catch, especially since they _shrink _the more you hit them, but delicious roasted. We've been eating them pretty much this whole journey."

"Gotcha." Isis leaned back a bit, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "Been meaning to ask, by the way. What language are you guys speaking?"

Tut and Horus shared a look, Sphinx answering as he came up behind them, "We're speaking Egyptian, why?"

"Because as far as I'm aware, I'm speaking _English._ And it sounds like you guys are, too."

Sphinx shrugged, moving to sit beside her on the log; Isis was proud of herself for not flinching away. "Magic, I'm assuming. What point would there be in you coming back if we couldn't communicate?"

"That's the thing, though." Isis accepted a chunk of meat from the demi-god, hiding a reaction when his hand brushed hers, "I _can _speak and read Egyptian; my parents taught me. Yet we all sound like we're speaking English."

Again, Sphinx could only shrug, "To me, it sounds like we're all speaking Egyptian, so I'm not sure. Best to just assume it's the Gods doing it."

The blonde girl sighed, nodding in acceptance and biting into the meat, blinking in surprise, "Hey, this _is_ pretty good."

"Told you." Horus chirped.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They broke camp half an hour later, a process made quicker by the fact that only Tut's tent still needed to be taken down.

Sphinx and the mummy went to work on it while Isis wandered a little, incredibly curious about the world she had found herself in.

She had been right in saying it was an _alternate _ancient Egypt, she was sure now; Sakkara wasn't a place that existed in the history books, as far as she knew. That and the existence of real Gods and magic was a huge difference.

One, she had to admit as she glanced back at Sphinx, that she didn't mind.

Despite knowing that there were dangers in the world around her and that she was, for the moment, fairly defenceless, Isis couldn't help wandering into the jungle a little.

She didn't go very far, and always made sure she could see the camp behind her, but the unfamiliar landscape was simply to interesting to ignore.

_Dangerous as it is, this place is beautiful._

"Shouldn't wander to far, sweet cheeks. The monster's in here would _love _to eat a defenceless demi-goddess like you."

Isis whirled around, startled. Horus leaned against a tree nearby, arms crossed and beak twisted in a strange smirk.

"I'm not stupid." She replied coolly, ignoring him, "I'm not going any further in."

"I don't know what Sphinx is thinking. If you were _my_ woman, I wouldn't be letting you out of my tent."

Isis scoffed, "Then it's a damn good thing that I'm _his_ and not _yours_."

A hand closed on her shoulder suddenly, making her tense, "That could change..."

**WHAM.**

Horus recoiled from the slap, landing on the ground and staring up at her in disbelief.

Isis clenched her fists, teeth bared and eyes glowing with fury. "Don't. Ever. Touch me. _Again._" she hissed, seething.

"That's my girl."

Sphinx was there, suddenly, standing behind Horus and smirking proudly, Tut not far behind and wearing his own grin.

Isis flushed, grumbling "That makes two guys I've punched this week."

"They both deserved it." Sphinx assured her, chocolate eyes warm and admiring, "Now, let's get moving. The sooner we make it back to Bast, the better."

As they had already taken the path once and were fairly familiar with it, the Journey back to Bast's Temple took only three days instead of five.

Isis continued to share Tut's tent, but was sure to stay near Sphinx during the day, listening and learning and getting herself used to his presence.

The first night, Sphinx and Tut spent two hours after dark training, the demi-god instructing the younger mummy in his form and manoeuvres. Horus had gone to bed, but Isis stayed up to watch them, interested.

And more than a little appreciative of the sight of Sphinx bare-chested and sweating, dancing with his blade as she had with her music.

He had caught her eye as they finished sparring and Isis had had to look away, cheeks flushing scarlet even as she heard him laugh.

Sphinx had been right; the heat was still there, but it wasn't overwhelming anymore.

It flared every time they accidentally touched, however, leaving her shivering whenever his hand brushed hers or his hip grazed her skin as he passed her by.

And slowly, as they continued to march forwards and make their way through the Sakkarian Jungle, she found her fears disappearing.

It was as they climbed the final hill before Bast's Temple that Isis realized her fears were gone, and that her mother – and Tut – had been right.

She was irrevocably, undeniably, in love with Sphinx.

The thought hit her right when Sphinx was reaching up to help her down off the crest of the hill, hands warm as he grasped her around the waist and hoisted her down, hers on his shoulders to steady herself.

Neither said anything; they just stood like that for a moment, watching each other, content. They only pulled away when Tut and Horus came sliding down the hill after them, though they stayed close together, Sphinx motioning ahead of them.

"That's Bast's Temple. She's probably waiting for us." His eyes were on hers again, dark chocolate meeting bright emerald, "Are you ready?"

Isis nodded, swallowing thickly. "Let's get this over with."


	16. Chapter 16: Prophecies

**Authors Note:** And now we get the rest of the prophecy, dadadadaaaaa! :D Yeah I'm running out of things to say in these authors notes ahaha. Things stay fairly 'innocent' for a while yet, soooo no warnings to give. Well asides from snarky Bast, but that's beside the point. Enjoy!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Prophecies **

The Temple Guards didn't even question the group as they approached this time; they took one look at Isis and bowed, backing away as the great doors swung open.

Swallowing her nerves, Isis strode forwards as confidently as she could manage, calmed somewhat by Sphinx's steady presence at her elbow.

"Isis!" Bast greeted jubilantly, hastening down from her throne to approach the demi-goddess, arms spread and muzzle twisted in a welcoming smile, "At last, you are here! I do hope your escort has taken good care of you?"

"They have." Isis forced herself not to cower or flinch, especially when the goddess – thankfully clothed, this time – stepped forwards to embrace her, not really sure how to react, "T-thank you, Lady Bast."

"Please, child, skip the formalities. I know you don't remember, but your original incarnation and I were close friends. I hope that we may be the same." The cat goddess stepped back, cupping the blonde girls face in clawed hands, "Ah, you grew up to be a beauty, as I knew you would. My servant has been giving me constant reports on you, after all."

"So Cleo _is_ working for you." Isis voiced, not really surprised.

Bast nodded, a twinkle in her eye as she glanced at Sphinx, "Yes, and she has been keeping an eye on your Sphinx for me, as well."

"You mean Ayh is...?"

"Yes, they are one and the same; whenever she was not in one world, she was in the other. Ayh is of course her true name, though I find it endearing that your parents would choose such a name for her cat form."

"Was everything she did a test, then?"

Bast released Isis's face to step back, staring at Sphinx, "Pardon?"

"Was everything she did a test?" Sphinx repeated, glancing at Isis as he continued, "The flirtation, the constant seduction attempts, all of it?"

"Seduction attempts?" Isis repeated, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I had no interest, don't worry. I was already rather attached to someone else."

Isis flushed hotly, but Bast only looked perplexed.

"She was only meant to keep an _eye _on you, Sphinx; talking to you wasn't even in her task. She tried to _seduce_ you?" now the Goddess seemed out of sorts, "I had no idea."

"She hated me, too." Isis piped up, lifting her ankle to show the faint scar marks of the cat's latest attack, "She scratched me really badly not a week ago, and she's been attacking me since I was a kid."

"Let me see that." Bast seized her ankle suddenly, Isis flailing for balance before Sphinx righted her.

After examining it for a moment the Goddess's face went dark, fury rising in her eyes, "I will skin that little bitch myself." She hissed suddenly, releasing Isis and drawing herself to her full height, "She attempted to _poison_ you, Isis."

"What?!"

"It didn't work, clearly – either your magic or something in your world protected you – but attempt it she did. I don't know what's happened to her, but I intend to punish her _severely._"

Bast stomped away to the middle of the room, leaving the companions standing where they were. She summoned a portal and flung magic into it, hissing "AYH! REPORT, IMMEDIATELY!"

Nothing happened. The Goddess's hands clenched into fists at her side, "AYH!"

Once more, nothing changed. Bast slashed the portal away in a fury, clearly raging as she turned back to the group again.

"I cannot sense her, or force her to come, apparently. Something – or someone – is shielding her from my powers. I had thought your Journey to fulfill the prophecy would be a simple one, Isis, but it seems I was wrong." Bast sighed heavily, trying to control herself, "A Goddess's Servant should be _unable_ to resist the call of their Master; this bodes dangerously."

"We'll be careful." Sphinx assured her, releasing Isis once she was steady on her feet again, "My Lady, if you would; you said you would deliver the rest of the prophecy once we had returned with Isis."

"Hmm? Oh, yes, yes, of course." Calming herself fully, the cat Goddess approached them again, hands folded in front of her, "The rest of the prophecy reads as follows:

_With danger past, and worlds aligned, the reincarnation will revive. _

_Of Isis lost, she will return; with powers great and memories few._

_To heal The Prince that Luxor lost; to seal the break 'tween body and soul._

_Five shards in all of Canopic Jar, each hidden in a test,_

_To awaken the powers that lay dormant inside our blessed miss._

_Once found and healed, celebration will burst,_

_For the returned Prince, and the awakened Goddess._

"Well." Isis swallowed, blinking, "At least it's a fairly to the _point _prophecy, for once."

"Indeed, child. And I do believe you've already begun fulfilling it."

"What? Oh!" Isis dug into the back pocket of her shorts, pulling out the shard she had found, "I found this inside the-_my_ temple, on the floor. It's one of the shards, isn't it?"

"Yes, child. And because you have found the first piece, your senses have likely healed and adapted faster than you'd expected."

"Definitely."

"Keep that with you – Sphinx, I believe you carry an enchanted satchel, do you not? – for when the time is right, you must have all five shards with you. Your Master said as much."

"Where _is _Master Imhotep?" Sphinx questioned then, noticing his absence even as he accepted the Shard from Isis and tucked it into Bas-Ket.

"He was called back to the Shrine for an urgent matter, but assured me that he had everything well under control." Bast looked at them slyly then, muzzled tilted in yet another smile. "Now, I know it is late, and you are all likely tired. However, there is one last task I need you to fulfill tonight."

"The second shard is here, in this temple, and I would prefer you acquire it tonight."

"Any particular reason why?" Isis questioned, hesitant.

"Mainly so that you may all continue your Journey first thing in the morning, but I will not lie; Ayh's actions worry me. I would prefer you have gained as much knowledge of yourself, and your abilities, as possible before you leave the protection of my Temple."

"Alright."

Bast smiled reassuringly, motioning for the demi-goddess to follow her, "Follow me, Isis, and I will lead you to the test. I did not design it myself, admittedly; the room appeared along with the shard without any prior knowledge on my behalf, as is so often the way of Ra. I am confident, however, that you will be able to pass it."

Isis swallowed thickly, glancing back at Sphinx as she walked. He and the others were following at a distance, obviously trying to remain respectful of the Goddess's authority. Sphinx caught her eye and flashed her a grin, making her blush even as she turned around. At least _someone _had faith in her...

Bast paused before a closed door, guarded by two statues strikingly similar to those that had attacked her in her own temple. Isis resisted the urge to cower, simply remaining by the cat goddess's side as she addressed the two.

"Guardians, it is time for you to open your doors. The one meant for the test is here."

"**Then allow her to speak for herself."** One of the guardians boomed, though it didn't moved at all.

Isis swallowed again and stepped forwards, "I am Isis, reincarnation of my namesake. I am here to take the test and reclaim the shard of Tutankhamen's soul."

"**Your aura fits; very well. You may proceed. Be warned; the test will kill you if you are not the one meant to take it."**

"I-I understand."

Terrified, the blonde girl entered when the doors swung inward on their own, her companions following silently behind her.

She froze, gaping, when light flooded the room and illuminated it.

It was a pit. A giant, endless, gaping black pit, with a central pillar in the very centre of it. A shard floated there on a pedestal, taunting her.

"_This_ is the rest?" she whispered, shaking, "How am I supposed to get over _there_?!"

Her birthmark burned briefly, and she recalled the Guardian from the Temple, demanding to see her 'wings'. But she hadn't been able to summon any back there! Maybe now she could...

_No, Isis._ The calming voice from the Museum spoke in her mind again, a cooling hand pressing over her birthmark and ceasing the burning, _You cannot use that power yet. _

_Then what do I do?!_ She thought back hysterically, terrified.

_Use the abilities you already have. Follow my voice; I will lead you safely across._

_Who are you?_

_A friend. Now focus, Isis, and follow my lead..._

"Isis?" Sphinx stepped up beside the girl when she was silent for several moments, surprised to see her eyes clouded over and pupil-less.

"Isis!" he started when she stepped forwards suddenly, out into the black nothingness... and stood there, as though she were still on solid ground. And indeed, a tile had risen to meet her feet, looking as though it had been there all along.

Then, she shifted, raising her arms and positioning her feet as though ready to dance, taking a deep breath and then _moving._

Sphinx had seen her move like this before, had seen her dance without a care in the world, but there was something _different _to her motions this time. They were more controlled, precise, and every step she took was on purpose.

More tiles flew up to catch her everywhere she stepped, never missing a beat or breaking rhythm.

By the time she had spiraled her way to the pedestal, the entire room was floored, the gaping pit from moments earlier covered and confined.

Isis came out of her trance only as she stepped onto the central platform, blinking as her eyes cleared and her pupils returned. Startled, she looked around, smiling a little when she found herself face to face with the pedestal.

Reaching forwards, she gingerly snatched the Shard from where it was floating and hurried back across to the others, half worried that the floor would fall away under her feet.

"Got it!" she half gasped when she made it back to them, handing the shard to Sphinx and bending over to rest her hands on her knees, panting, "God, I haven't danced that much in _ages_."

"How did you know what to do?"

"I didn't." She admitted, straightening, "There was a... voice in my head, leading me. The same one that told me it was 'time' back in my world."

"I thought as much." Bast purred silkily, eyeing the girl's wrists with a little grin, "And now, child, you are beginning to regain the abilities your other self lost."

"What...?" Isis cut herself off when she realized there were sparks hovering around her fingers, lifting them closer to examine them, "What the-?"

"Magic. You have access to it now, though I suspect 'control' will only come with time. Now." The cat goddess turned, arms raised, "We must celebrate! Come, I have had a feast prepared, as I imagine you are all hungry for something more filling then Jungle Creatures! Let us feast!"

Isis moved to follow only to squeak in surprise when Sphinx scooped her up suddenly, lifting her against his chest and carrying her out of the room bridal-style. "Sphinx! What are you doing? I can walk!"

"You're exhausted." He chastised with a tiny grin, "Don't pretend, I can tell. The least I can do is carry you to dinner."

Admittedly enjoying being held like this and, honestly, as tired as he'd accused her of being, Isis simply sighed and allowed herself to relax against him, though her face flared the usual cherry red.

Sphinx could only smirk.

XXXXXXX

"Come, dear, let us find you some clothing to take with you on your Journey. I don't know how the men are doing it, but I could _not_ wear the same thing day after day, and I certainly don't expect _you_ to!"

Isis could only follow after the excited Goddess, smiling somewhat wryly.

The feast had gone on for well over two hours, Isis practically asleep on Sphinx's shoulder for more than half of it. The food was delicious, and Bast and her servants were hilarious – especially when she'd had Horus kicked out for getting touchy with one of the maids – but Isis was _exhausted_. She hadn't had a truly good night's sleep since leaving her world and, admittedly, she wanted nothing more than to go find a bed, drag Sphinx with her, and go to _sleep._

Bast had stolen her before she could sneak off, however, saying she wanted to talk to her about some things and outfit her with some new clothes. Which Isis was thankful for, really; she didn't want to wear the dancer outfit any longer then she had to.

"Are you _sure_ you want pants, Isis?" the Goddess questioned for the hundredth time, practically pouting, "You look so nice in skirts."

"Bast." She began, calling the Goddess by name as had been requested, "Everyone seems to think I should have wings. I'm assuming that means I _will_, at some point. So, no, I don't want skirts if I'm going to be _flying above people._"

"To true, I suppose." The cat goddess began picking through several garments, placing them in a tiny enchanted pouch for the girl, "I wanted to talk to you about the voice you heard, Isis."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Yes. It is your namesake." Bast smiled at her surprised look, "Goddess's never truly die, child; you are her reincarnation, yes, but her consciousness is still very much alive. She has been leading you, as I expected she would. Mother Goddess and all that, it's in her nature."

"Will she always be with me?"

"I believe so, to some extent. Perhaps not as much so as she is now, while you are learning, but she will be there. Now."

Bast turned, hands on her hips, "I do hope you're not pushing that poor boy away, Isis; I've seen the distance between you two."

"What? No! I just... I mean..." red faced yet again, the blonde looked away, "All of the insecurities that _weren't_ in the dreams are here full force. I'm _trying _to work past them, but it's hard. He seems... too good for me."

"Hardly." The goddess huffed, waving off the blonde's surprised look, "Don't get me wrong, child. He's a hero, the chosen one of the prophecy, damn good looking and well hung, too." Bast smirked at the colour that produced, continuing, "But he's not perfect. At the beginning of _his _Journey, he was one of the rashest young apprentices Imhotep had ever had. He had no ear for lessons and rushed into everything head first. It was only after acquiring the Blade of Osiris and realizing that something terrible was going on that he matured. I believe his original thought that Horus had died snapped him from his rash behaviour, as well, though I doubt he'll admit to that."

"You're meant for each other, child, in a way few people are. Just don't break the boy's heart." Bast turned to the satchel and nodded, tossing it to the blonde, "There, I believe that should be more than enough clothing to last you for now. I imagine you're tired; I have given you your own set of rooms for the night, and a servant is ready to lead you there."

"Where are Sphinx's rooms?" Isis questioned, trying to be bold despite the knowing look on the goddess's face.

"Right across from yours, dear. Good night, Isis."

Isis only nodded, leaving the chamber and following the waiting servant to her rooms. She bid the Sakkarian goodnight and waited till he was out of sight to sneak across and quietly enter Sphinx's rooms, eyes adjusting almost immediately to the darkness.

She'd seen this room before, in a vision, and she flushed hotly at the memories of what she had tried to do here.

Sphinx was curled on his side on the bed, chest rising and falling steadily in his sleep.

Tiptoeing, Isis snuck up to the other side of the bed and quietly removed her circlet and arm bands, setting them on the bedside table before carefully crawling onto the bed.

She didn't touch him, merely laid down as close behind him as she dared, his warmth seeping into her immediately. Back-to-back, Isis sighed in content and let herself drift off, content for the first time since arriving in his time.

_I won't break his heart, Bast. I just hope he won't break mine._


	17. Chapter 17: The Path Ahead

**Author's Note:** Back to Heliopolis we go, weee! And onwards with the quest for the shards! (Geez what is this, Inuyasha?) It is my intent and goal to finish this story before December, which gives me two weeks... eek! Here's hoping!

Also, **Allison:** no, they don't talk in dreams anymore. They _can_ kind of... mentally-message each other if they're a distance apart, but that's it.

Anywhoo, as always, enjoy! :D

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: The Path Ahead**

Isis woke slowly the next morning, loathe to leave the amazing sleep she'd enjoying. She vaguely registered movement on the bed behind her, mind still far too hazy to care about anything but the remnants of sleep it clung to.

She heard a quiet chuckle and felt lips brush over her forehead, but didn't move until the door closed suddenly, eyes opening to squint against the torchlight illuminating the room.

The demi-goddess bolted up then, remembering where she was and turning red when she processed what had just happened, fingers brushing the warm spot on her forehead.

_He's giving me time._ She realized, lips twitching as she forced herself from the bed, digging through the pouch of clothes Bast had provided her with, _This is... good. I can do this. I need to stop acting like a coward._

Finding an outfit she liked, Isis headed into the connecting bathing chamber – making sure it was empty, first – and stripped, washing herself off as quickly as was possible. Drying off, she flicked her hair back from her face and glanced back at the room's mirror, biting her lip.

She hadn't had much of a chance to _see_ the changes before, so now she examined herself carefully. She had permanent eye markings much like Sphinx's now, though only the ones that looked like Egyptian eye paint; it was a nice accent to her eyes, brighter green than ever.

Her ears were longer even then Sphinx's, reminding her of elves from fantasy movies and games, and three long, white feathers protruded from behind each. Likewise, three feathers protruded from each of her wrists and her ankles. Her birthmark looked more like a tattoo now, crisp lines rather than the blotchy mark she'd been born with.

_And I'm curvier._ She noted with a blush, turning away and beginning to dress, _Has to do with being the reincarnation of the goddess of motherhood and fertility and all that jazz, I guess. Oi._

The outfit she had picked had somewhat more of an Arabian flare to it then Egyptian, but it would be comfortable for traveling and still looked halfway decent. The pants were baggy but fitted at the waist and just above her ankle feathers, a square shawl tied around her waist. The shirt, admittedly, ended just below her breasts, but it had a square neckline and small sleeves, covering her shoulders from the harsh sun and baring only the tiniest bit of cleavage.

Last, she fished a long fabric strip from within the pouch and tied her hair back in a low ponytail, sick of it getting in her face.

Satisfied, she stuffed the pouch in a pocket and headed out, leaving the dancer's costume to be disposed of. Even if she _did_ manage to get back to her world someday, the outfit had been through three days of desert and jungle travel; washing it likely wouldn't help much.

"Good morning, Lady Isis." A servant greeted her as soon as she exited the room, surprising her, "Our Lady Bast has instructed me to guide you to the feasting hall for breakfast. Your other companions are already awaiting you there."

"Thank you." Isis managed to keep her voice steady, though a blush crept over her cheeks when she realized she'd been caught leaving Sphinx's rooms. Oh well.

Both were silent as they made their way down to the feasting hall, the servant bowing and excusing himself once they had reached it.

"Ah, she awakes at last!" Bast greeted jubilantly from her seat at the tables end, lounging on a raised dais with a glass of wine in her hand, "Good morning, dear Isis. I trust you slept well."

Emerald eyes slid to meet chocolate brown, Isis smiling a little as she moved further into the room, "I did, thank you."

"Good, very good. I thought you should all like a filling breakfast before you continue on your journey."

"We thank you, Lady Bast." Sphinx nodded to the goddess politely, though his eyes remained on Isis as she sat on the pillow beside him, lips twitching appreciatively.

"I-it's delicious!" Tutankhamen echoed from across the table, giving the couple a rather knowing look. Horus remained silent; being removed by the Goddess twice, he seemed to have learned his lesson.

Bast merely smiled at the praise, golden eyes watching the two together before she cleared her throat and sat a little straighter, gaining the groups attention, "I have had a message from your Master Imhotep. He says that there is turmoil at the Shrine, and that for the time being, you should avoid returning there."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Imhotep said not to worry; something about several new apprentices acting up. I am sure it is nothing to be concerned about, Sphinx. I also have some more information for you; the locations of the remaining Canopic Shards."

Isis perked, sitting up, "Where are they?"

"The third is in Heliopolis, not far, in fact, beyond your Great Wall. Speak to Anubis on your way back; he will give you a better hint."

"The fourth is in Abydos, in an area you have visited in the past, Sphinx. Visit the Museum's Jewel Curator, Aquila; he will have the final information you need to find it."

"The fifth... I cannot locate, exactly. It is somewhere where my powers do not currently reach, but I sense that it is findable. It is somewhere only _you_ have been, Isis, and that is all of the information I have on it."

"It's a clue, at least." The blonde girl agreed, "Thank you for your help, Bast; I appreciate it, as I'm sure Tutankhamen does."

"Definitely." The mummy agreed, "I-I can't wait to be human again."

"And I pray that you are returned to yourself soon, Prince Tutankhamen. Now, I have given Sphinx a Portal Amulet should you ever need to return here; it is much more convenient then having to make the journey again, no?" Bast smiled silkily, "Finish your breakfast, and then begin your journey. I wish you all the best of luck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The journey back to the Great Wall was an easy one, as it had been the first time in reverse. It took the same two nights, though mainly because they weren't as concerned with timing. There was no moon position to worry about, and so they made camp at night and talked, mostly about what Tut would do once he was human again.

"I-I'll go back to Luxor right away and marry Nefertiti!" he proclaimed boldly, not wanting to waste any more time with his beloved.

Isis could only smile, pleased that he was so decisive about his future now. Though she continued to share a tent with Tut – mainly because the mummy wanted advice for 'girl stuff' when it came to talking to Nefertiti – Isis was much more comfortable around Sphinx now, even leaning against him as they sat around the fire on their final night, his arm around her waist and his head against hers.

They went to bed early that night, wanting to reach Anubis early in the morning so that they could spend the day searching for the Shards.

The sun had barely risen when they broke camp and continued forwards, entering the Great Wall barely an hour after awakening.

The Jackal God was waiting for them in his audience chamber, a huge grin on his muzzle and his arms opened wide.

"Welcome, welcome, my dear Isis! Bast did not exaggerate your beauty at all, my lady; I am pleased to see you returned."

"Thank you, Lord Anubis."

Anubis merely nodded, that jackals grin never slipping, "You have two shards already, I am told; good, very good! In fact, I can help you with the third! Your farmer friends have been asking after you, Sphinx; they have something to show you! I know that the closest Portal to there is Sunshine Island, so I'll be nice and simply teleport you myself. Consider it a 'thanks' for everything you've done."

"Thank you, Anubis." Sphinx nodded respectfully, staying close to Isis.

"Prepare yourselves, then, and good luck on your quest!"

Isis gasped as the unfamiliar magic washed over her, stumbling when it was suddenly _sand_ under her feet rather than solid ground.

Sphinx caught her by the elbow, steadying her and motioning around, "Welcome to Heliopolis. It doesn't look like much, but it's a lot better now than it used to be."

Isis eyed the palace in the distance, then turned towards a much closer little building, "Is that the farm?"

"Yes. Better go see what the farmers want and get it over with."

Isis lifted an eyebrow, following after as he trudged through the sand, "I thought the farmers were your friends?"

"They are, but they're a bit... _excitable._ It's likely they haven't found anything important."

"Can't hurt to check."

Sphinx only nodded, and the group headed down onto the farm, passing through the entrance gate silently.

Sphinx spotted the brothers first, digging away at one of their many plots, "Oi! Suti! Hapi!"

The two hounds paused in their work, looking up and lighting up immediately.

"Sphinx!" the taller of the two called back, motioning to his brother, "Hapi, go get that thing from the house, quickly!"

The smaller of the two hurried as quickly as he could to the house while Suit approached the group, reaching out to grasp Sphinx's hand. "We were beginning to wonder if you were alive, friend!" the hound chuckled, "Lord Anubis wouldn't tell us where you were, the devil; starting t'get worried!"

"I'm fine." Sphinx smirked, shaking the farmers hand amicably, "What's this thing you've got for me, Suti?"

"Something we happened across on the farm; reminded me of that Canopic Jar we found for you ages back. Thought you'd want to have a look."

"Got it!" Hapi came jogging back over the farmlands, panting as he reached them and held the item out, "Here, Sphinx; we thought you'd be interested in this!"

"A Canopic Shard!" Isis lit up as Sphinx accepted the item, tucking it into Bas-Ket, "That means we only have two left!"

"Hey, friend, who's this, now?" Suti leaned on his shovel, giving Sphinx a knowing look, "Gonna introduce us or what?"

"Maybe later." Sphinx chuckled good naturedly, "Thanks for the help, you two. Don't work _to_ hard"

"Yeah yeah, shoo, you young'ins. And be careful!"

Sphinx waved over his shoulder, gently leading Isis back to where Tut and Horus stood rather awkwardly just inside the gate.

"So?" Tut questioned anxiously.

"We got another Shard." Isis smiled, seeing the excitement that caused the Mummy, "That means we only have two left. Where did Bast say the next one was? Abydos?"

"Yup. Perfect timing." Sphinx squinted into the distance, smirking, "Khonsu's ship is at dock, which'll take us straight to Abydos. Come on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"There's some shops along here you two can check out, and the path towards the museum is right over there. If anything happens, come get us; otherwise we'll meet you back here, alright?"

Both Tut and Isis nodded, the mummy dragging the girl off into one of the shops while Sphinx sighed and turned, motioning to Horus to follow.

"You trust those two alone?"

"Abydos is a safe city, now that the electric eels are gone; they'll be fine."

"My, you're trusting."

"I trust Isis and Tut, yes." Sphinx shot the bird demi-god a look, "You, not so much."

"Touché." Horus sighed, "So, what are we doing now?"

"Bast said Aquila would give us a hint on where the next Shard is, so I'm going to talk to him. There's an inn right next to the Museum; you head in and grab two rooms."

"Fine."

The two demi-gods parted ways in front of the inn, Sphinx waiting till he was sure Horus had gone in before continuing into the museum, jogging down the long entrance ramp into the central plaza.

It was definitely busier then the last time he'd been there, likely due to the fact that the Jewel collection had been reclaimed by he and Tut.

Aquila was surrounded by a number of people, but when he looked up and saw Sphinx he excused himself, approaching the demi-god with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"Sphinx! So good to see you. How are you, old friend?"

"Not bad. You seem lively today, Aquila; busy day?" Sphinx greeted, shaking the offered hand.

"Every day is busy now that our Jewel's are returned and our Bestiary full!" the Abydosian chuckled, "But I highly doubt you are here for a social call; you only show up when you have something or need something. So what'll it be today?"

"Have you seen any items like this?" Sphinx asked quietly, showing him one of the shards. Aquila squinted, bending close to get a good look at it.

"Surprisingly, yes. The Mayor – I swear he gets his hands on the strangest things – brought an item just like that to me a while ago, not long after you defeated Set, actually. When I told him I wasn't sure what it was, he stormed out, rather upset. I do believe he intended to hide it somewhere in the Council Chambers, likely suspecting it of being cursed again."

"Good to know. Thanks."

"I take it the item is important?"

Sphinx only grinned, "You have _no_ idea."

They exchanged a few pleasantries before Sphinx excused himself and headed back up the long entry ramp, meeting Horus as he headed outside.

"Got two rooms with two beds in each; not a terrible price, either."

"Good. Let's go find Isis and Tut, I think I know where the Shard is."

"Oh, we don't have to find them."

"What?"

Horus just smirked, leading him back towards the central square, music now flowing from the area.

Sphinx stopped once he'd reached the edge of the square, staring in surprise.

A huge crowd had formed, a group around the edges while others danced in the middle, all having fun and spinning around to the music of the nearby band.

And there, right in the middle, were Isis and Tut, the mummy doing his best not to stumble while Isis did what she always did and just let herself _flow_.

_This_ was the kind of dancing he'd seen Isis doing before; free and flowing, with not a care in the world or a specific step in mind.

Sphinx smirked and wove his way through the crowd, quietly making his ways towards the blonde demi-goddess. He didn't say a thing when he reached her, merely grasping her wrist and spinning her into him, grinning at the way her face lit up at him.

He spun her a few more times and then dipped her as the song came to a close, cheers erupting around them.

Sphinx could only shake his head down at the girl, chuckling quietly, "Having fun?"

"Couldn't resist." She panted, still smiling. He helped her stand again and lead her back out of the crowd, meeting up with Tut and Horus at the edge.

"I think I know where the next Shard is." He told them all, motioning to Horus and Tut, "You two had may as well head for the Inn; it's been a long day and it it's where I think it is, you won't be able to get there anyways. We'll meet you there once we have it."

"G-got it!" Tut stammered, Horus merely nodding before making his way to the inn with the mummy, leaving the two alone.

"So where is it?" Isis questioned, suddenly fidgety.

Sphinx grinned, "Come on; I'll show you."

They made their way back through Abydos, walking in a comfortable silence. Sphinx had to help Isis across a few of the gaps in the bridges, since she wasn't used to having to jump gaps, but she didn't mind.

Being bold, she caught his hand as they entered the Council Courtyard, happy when he squeezed hers back and continued forwards.

They entered the grand building and approached what seemed at first to be a well, Isis realizing it was actually a deep _pit_ as they came closer.

"Why always _pits_?" she grumbled under her breath, peering over the edge, "You sure it's down there?"

"Aquila said the Mayor put it somewhere no one would find it. The only person whose ever made it out of this hole is me." Sphinx smirked then, "You better hold on."

"What-?!" Isis squeaked when he scooped her up yet again and then stepped onto the edge of the hole, making her go rigid. "Oh my god."

"Hold on." He warned her again, waiting until she'd tightened her grip around his neck to jump off the edge and down into the pit, barely hearing her startled shriek as he braced for impact, landing smoothly on the dirt ground below.

"Ohmygodwe'realive." She gasped, stumbling when he released her.

"I fought one of Set's monsters down here, I knew the jump was one I could make. Sorry." He held a hand out, "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Ass." She panted, taking the hand and righting herself, "How do we get back up?"

Sphinx pointed to a nearby rope, dangling down from the top. "Let's just find the Shard for now."

Isis agreed, following the demi-god out and along a rather strange looking bridge. Again he had to help her across a gap, but Isis barely noticed; she was too busy following a familiar buzzing sound in her head.

She found the Shard at the furthest edge of the platform, picking it up and feeling the buzzing cease, a sort of calm descending over her mind.

"It wasn't hidden very well." She admonished, handing it to Sphinx.

"The Mayor probably thought just being _down_ here would be hidden well enough; most people wouldn't bother to come looking for it, anyways." Sphinx stared at her for a moment, then smiled; a true, soft smile. "You're practically glowing, Isis. You're gaining control of your powers."

"Am I?" she questioned softly, beaming, "Here's hoping. Now let's get out of this hole, please."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Getting out of the hole took longer than getting into it, but it was well worth it. Isis was proud of herself for managing to climb out herself, though her arms were rather sore by the end of it.

They headed back to the inn and big each other goodnight; Sphinx would be sharing a room with Horus, and Isis with Tut, since the mummy still had questions for her and Sphinx didn't trust Horus with anyone else.

Isis hesitated as they said goodnight. Then she took a deep breath and leaned up to kiss him, just a quick, fleeting touch before she was gone, disappearing into she and Tut's room.

Sphinx didn't move for several seconds, his brain trying to compute what had happened, before he grinned and entered his own room, in a sincerely good mood.

The hawk was already asleep, and so Sphinx simply laid down on his own bed and did his best to sleep, wondering where the final Shard was hidden. If Bast couldn't sense it, and only Isis had been where it was, then it had to be in her world, surely?

He had just finally fallen asleep when he snapped awake again suddenly, sensing something off. Bolting up in bed, Sphinx's gaze jerked to the other bed and he cursed, jumping up.

Rushing across the hall and flinging open the door, he coughed, covering his nose as an overwhelming stench exploded from within. He waited till it had dissipated before entering the room, desperate.

"Isis?! Tut?!"

Groaning in the corner of the room caught his attention, racing to the mummy's side and shaking him, "Tut, wake up! Tutankhamen!"

"W-wha?" Tut came to slowly, blinking owlishly, "What happened... Sphinx? Sphinx!"

He was wide awake, gripping the demi-gods arms, "He took her, Sphinx! It was planned! He took Isis!"

"Who took her, Tut?!" he demanded, though he already knew the answer.

"Horus! He's been working for Menes all along! He took Isis to Uruk!"


	18. Chapter 18: Enemies and Enlightenment

**Authors Note:** Whoa! I got more reviewers! O: Sweet! Anyhow! We're getting further on with the plot now, wee! The darker stuff happens here; overall though, I'm not going to lie, I didn't intend this to be a 'dark' story. I'm just going with the flow and letting the muses do what they want and, mostly, they wanted sex. :| I wish I was kidding trust me lmao.

Also! To **Wonderfulwonderwolf!** This story is not yet complete, there is still a ways to go! Once it _is _finished I have no plans for a sequel, though, so I hope you enjoy what I manage in this story!

Now, onwards to the tale!

* * *

**CROSSING WORLDS**

**By Amariahellcat**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Enemies and Enlightenment **

The Portal God flashed to life, its mouth opening with a deafening roar as it released its passengers, light flooding the lower chamber.

"S-sphinx, wait!" Tut stumbled after his friend, but the demi-god wasn't listening.

Sphinx hauled himself up the rope to the main chamber in record time, stalking forwards as soon as he hit the ground and bellowing furiously, "ANUBIS!"

"Sphinx?" the Jackal God came into being almost immediately, looking more than a little confused, "I had not expected a visit from you so soon. What has happened?"

"Horus betrayed us." He snarled, unable to help it, "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him. He's been working for Menes this entire time; he kidnapped Isis, Anubis, and took her to Uruk. You need to send me there, _now_."

"Menes is alive? This is troubling indeed. What could they want with Isis? Unless..."

Fists clenching, Sphinx growled, "Anubis, enough talk. Send me there _now_, I have to get her back!"

"Sphinx, think about this; you're likely walking right into a trap-"

"I DON'T CARE!" the demi-god roared, fury peaking, "I won't let them have her! The longer we wait the more danger there is for Isis!"

"You're going no matter what I say, aren't you?" the stubborn look he received only made Anubis sigh, though he'd expected as much, "Fine. I will send you along the back channels again, as Osiris did when you went to battle Set. But _only _you. Tutankhamen must remain here with me."

"U-understood." The mummy swallowed, trying to look supportive, "G-go get her, Sphinx."

"Are you ready, Sphinx?" Anubis summoned the magic without waiting for a reply, throwing it into the lava below and watching the portal that appeared, "Jump, _NOW_!"

Sphinx didn't hesitate; he rushed off the edge of the platform and dove into the lava portal, remembering the sensation from the first time he'd traveled this way to Uruk.

_I'm coming, Isis, hold on!_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_I'm coming Isis, hold on!_

_What...?_

Slowly regaining consciousness, Isis struggled to remember what had happened. There was a strong smell of incense in the air, and dark chanting floated around her.

What had happened? She'd bid Sphinx goodnight and gone to bed. She remembered there being a strange smell in the air as she'd drifted off, but that was it...

A weight appeared on her chest suddenly, eyes snapping open to lock with familiar liquid gold. Emerald darting around, she realized she was bound at her wrists and ankles to the ceremonial table she lay upon, the room clearly meant for darker practices then she liked.

Eyes going back to the cat sitting rather comfortably on her chest, she licked her lips, "Ayh."

The cat _chuckled_, standing and giving her a haughty look, "So you know now, do you? Well, I guess Bast had to tell you _sometime_. You are her _favorite_, after all."

"She tried to call you."

"I heard her call; I chose to ignore it. I can do that now that I have a _new_ Master, one that has rather _big _plans for _you_."

"Seriously, cat, why do you hate me? What did I ever do to _you_?"

"Personally? Nothing." Now the cat jumped off of her, transforming smoothly into her humanoid form, "I just got sick of watching over a spoiled child who had done _nothing _to earn the fate she was to be handed. Especially after meeting Sphinx; he deserves someone _better_ then you."

"He deserves the right to _choose_." Isis retorted, earning a wicked look from Ayh.

"And _did_ he choose you? Really? No. You were forced together by fate whether he liked it or not."

That stung. "He will never be yours, Ayh."

"We'll see. Once you're dead, he may have a change of heart." Ayh leaned in close then, grinning that feline smile, "Perhaps we'll name a child after you to honor your memory, Isis. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Furious, the demi-goddess spat in the cat's face, unable to do much else. Ayh reeled back with a hiss and slapped her, claws slashing the skin of her face. Isis refused to cry out; she wouldn't give her that satisfaction.

"AYH!" an unfamiliar voice froze the cat woman in her place, making her cower, "We need her in good condition, you unruly cat. Away with you! I have preparations to make."

"Yes, Master Menes." Ayh bowed and then swiftly backed out of the room, shooting Isis one last look before she disappeared.

Isis blinked away the stars she'd been left with and turned her head to look at the speaker, eyebrows creased.

Menes turned out to be a rather short, frail looking man, but the dark aura coming off of him told her he was much more then he seemed.

He peered down at her over a long, crooked nose, pallid skin sickly looking in the torchlight, "How are you fairing, my dear? I fear Ayh has quite a lot of hatred for you."

"Why have you brought me here?" Isis demanded, in no mood for false pleasantries. Menes gave a rather disturbing smile.

"Why, to make myself a God, of course. You see, in your newly awakened state, your life energies – especially being the reincarnation of who you are – are vastly powerful and easily taken. A simple ceremony will extract your life and give it to me."

"How do you know about me? Ayh didn't know _half_ of these details."

"Oh, Ayh is not my only apprentice; the other was quite useful in keeping tabs on your powers and abilities."

"Horus." Isis's heart dropped, knowing it immediately, "Sphinx was right."

"Yes, he made quite the little informant. I promised him minor powers once I am a God, of course, and so he was more than willing to steal you away."

"You won't get away with this. Sphinx will come-"

"Oh, I certainly hope he will. He's always been a thorn in my side, you see, and Horus is _so_ looking forwards to killing him. It would simply ruin all the fun if he _didn't _come to save you!"

"But Ayh said you were giving Sphinx to her...?"

"I let the cat believe that so that she would help us. Women are so easy to sway. Now then..."

Menes reached forwards place a small idol on her chest, jumping when the item was zapped from his hand and glowing energy remained hovering over her.

"I see you have more control over your abilities then I expected." He groused, reclaiming the idol, "This will be more interesting then I'd expected."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sphinx's trek through the back pathway to Castle Uruk was much quicker and easier than his last had been. Not because he knew the route or the hiding places or anything.

The Eye had been deactivated; Anubis was right. He was walking into a trap.

_I don't care. I won't let them have Isis!_

Sphinx stepped through the portal at the end of the passage and appeared in the chamber where he had fought Set, Blade of Osiris ready and waiting in his grip.

"HORUS!" he shouted, knowing the other demi-god was nearby, "Show yourself, traitor!"

"The noble Sphinx appears at last." Horus stepped from the shadows at the opposite end of the chamber, across the pool of lava, "You were right all along, and no one believed you! How does that feel, mighty hero?"

"Enough games." Sphinx growled, circling towards him, Horus doing the same, "Why have you taken Isis?"

"So that Menes can become a God, and so that _I_ can get the powers I deserve! That Blade should be mine and you know it!"

"It wasn't me that knocked you into the lava that day, Horus." Sphinx bared his teeth, tail flicking irritably, "Though this time, I'll make _sure_ you're dead!"

"I'll kill you first!"

The two demi-gods jumped at each other with war cries, blades clashing as they met and sending sparks flying.

They parted and then dove in again, attacking viciously. Sphinx had the better weapon, but Horus had been training longer; they were evenly matched and it showed.

Both landed hits, Sphinx hissing when Horus caught him with a particularly deep cut on his chest, just below his armor.

Furious and knowing he had to end the battle, Sphinx took a page from Isis and dodged his enemies blade before shooting up and punching him, following with a slash across his throat.

Horus gurgled as he fell, eyes wide and beak opening and closing silently. His eyes dimmed as his head hit the floor, sword clattering from his grasp and echoing throughout the room.

Breathing heavily and still gripping the Blade tightly, Sphinx made his way out of the room, stepping into the hallway and cursing his luck. He had no idea where to go, and he was running out of time.

"Pssst! Over here!"

Sphinx started at the voice, whirling and staring. What he knew to be an Urukite from Imhotep's lectures peered out from a hidden corridor, motioning him over.

"You are a friend of the mummies, yes? And the girl?" the creature asked, voice nearly a whisper.

"Yes." Sphinx's voice was rough with pain, though he did his best to hide it, "Do you know where she is?"

"Follow me." The Urukite disappeared back into the passageway, Sphinx ducking and following after.

They exited into a portal chamber, a Portal God sitting alert atop a nearby platform.

"Through here." The creature motioned to the next room, "Be careful, and be quiet. Good luck."

Sphinx only nodded, slipping in through the small opening and quietly approaching the scene. It took every ounce of self control he had not to shout out when he spotted Isis strapped to the ceremonial table, much as Tut had been so long ago.

Her magic flared around her, clearly trying to protect her from whatever Menes had planned, but the councillor was determined.

It was only when the man managed to stick a small object to Isis's chest and she cried out that his control snapped, the demi-god darting into the room with a furious roar.

Menes hadn't been prepared; the Blade of Osiris caught him square across the chest, slicing through clothe and flesh and making him stumble backwards as his lifeblood flowed freely.

"How..." he gasped, "Traps should have..."

"You should have learned from Tut." Sphinx growled, ripping the restraints off of Isis and knocking the idol away, helping her up, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Sphinx!" she was staring at his chest, startled by the many blade wounds, "You're seriously injured!"

"Later. We have to get out of here."

"I won't... let you..." Menes gasped, raising his arms and summoning a cloud of black magic. The castle around them began to shake, the lights beginning to flicker out, "If I must... die... then so shall... _you_!"

"Run!" Sphinx grabbed Isis by the arm and rushed her out of the room, both covering their heads as things began to fall and break.

"Must get out!" the Urukite exclaimed when they reached the Portal Room, motioning frantically to the Portal God, "Go, quickly!"

"What about you?!"

"Will be fine, know ways out. GO_!"_

The Urukite was gone in a heartbeat, and the two demis ran for the Portal God, Sphinx practically collapsing against her as they made it up.

"Transport! Please!" Isis gasped, doing her best to hold Sphinx up.

"**Do you have an offering?"**

Freezing, Isis realized Sphinx had all of the amulets in his satchel, and he was in no shape to grab them. Then she remembered – she had _one_ amulet, but where did it...?

The roof beginning to cave in made up her mind, and she grabbed the mysterious amulet and tossed it into the air before the God, "Accept this, please!"

"**As you wish; I will transport you to this mysterious location."**

They were sucked in just as the room began to crumble in on itself, Isis clinging to Sphinx lest they get separated during the journey.

She shrieked as they went flying out at the other end, crashing onto hard marble and going rolling.

Disoriented and feeling strangely off-balance, Isis scrambled back over to Sphinx, helping him sit up and biting her lip at the sight of his wounds, "Oh my God, Sphinx, you're okay. You'll be okay. Oh God, I don't know-"

"Isis? Isis, is that you?"

Head snapping up, Isis met the very surprised eyes of her aunt and froze. They were back. They were in _her time_! Both of them! And Sphinx was-

Startled back into action, the blonde stumbled to her feet, trying to help Sphinx stand, "Aunt Evie, help me! He's hurt, we need to get him to your office."

For her credit, Evelyn didn't say anything; she merely nodded and hurried over to help her god daughter, supporting Sphinx on his other side and aiding the younger girl in getting him to her office.

Once there, Evie locked the door and produced a first aid kit, handing it to Isis and watching her go to work.

"I'll go get us coffee." She murmured quietly, leaving the two alone.

Isis helped Sphinx get his headdress and armored collar off, along with his bracers, needing as much access as she could get to his wounds.

He hissed when she applied an antiseptic, but otherwise was quiet, allowing her to do as she wished. She had him lean forwards so she could wrap bandages around his torso, glad, at least, that he was no longer bleeding.

It was only as she was finishing up that she realized they had _changed_, both of them, after coming through the Portal.

Her senses were dulled again, and she could only assume Sphinx's were to. Her body had remained the way it was in the Past, but her feathers were gone; likewise, Sphinx was the same asides from his tail and claws disappearing. His ears were rounded now, to, and his nose looked _human_, though the darker markings remained on his face.

And while it didn't diminish his good looks any, she found she preferred him as he usually was, non-human traits and all.

_You're in love._ That voice whispered again, and she knew it was true. How could she not love him, when he'd clearly risked his life to save hers?

"Is he alright?" Evie questioned softly, re-entering the room with a steaming cup of coffee in each hand.

"Worn out, I think. He's not bleeding anymore, at least."

"I called your parents to let them know you're back. And I thought Sphinx might prefer to rest in a bed rather than a stuffy office chair."

"Thank you, Aunt Evie." Isis brushed a bang back from Sphinx's face, glad he seemed peaceful in his sleep, "We have to ward the house first, though. Cleo's not on our side; I don't want her showing up again."

"Already done, dear. I warded it as soon as you had left."

"Thank you."

"Isis." Evelyn waited until the younger girls attention was on her, smiling just a little, "We need to talk, you know. All of us."

"I know." She breathed, eyes going back to Sphinx, "Just... let's wait till he wakes up. Okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart."


End file.
